A Solo Baby
by sralbrigh
Summary: When Princess Leia finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she pushes Han away. Will they end up together? (Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi from Leia's perspective while dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.) ON HAITUS
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:** ** _(Before The Empire Strikes Back)_** **Leia Has a Feeling**

Leia awoke slowly. She lazily rubbed her face and groaned into her pillow.

Groggily, she looked at the empty side of the bed and sighed. She missed Han. She couldn't believe that she was admitting it to herself, but she missed him. They'd had their second passionate night together before he was sent on mission to help the Alliance finish moving their base to Hoth. He must've sneaked out quietly so as not to wake her so early. Lately, they only saw each other every couple of weeks. Their first night together had been like fireworks. They didn't mean to, but they had both been on late night rounds for the base, and she was cold after the first loop. He was so gentle– so kind to wrap her in his coat. He pulled her near, and, _Oh, Force_ , she thought as she replayed the event in her mind, his large hands enveloped her, his soft lips caressed her neck, and she let go of every defense that night. Since then, she has been yearning to repeat it, and last night was no different– well, except that they snuck into her room together and shared a warm bed instead of a cold storeroom. This morning's comfort only reiterated how perfectly they fit together.

She chuckled as she thought of how frustrated he must be to only be on "boring" assignments. He didn't know, but because she was overseeing the operation, she was secretly keeping track of him and putting him on safe assignments until he could return to her. She wanted the chance to talk to him about her feelings– he wasn't going to like that, so she hadn't gotten the courage to tell him yesterday.

Suddenly, her stomach clutched, and nausea overtook her. She rushed to the 'fresher and vomited all of the previous night's dinner. "Where did that come from?" She thought as she wretched again.

Threepio walked into her room with breakfast and a cheery, programmed disposition as she was leaving the 'fresher. "Good morning, your Highness," he chirped. "I have brought you breakfast." She took one whiff of the freshly prepared food and covered her mouth– immediately turning to the 'fresher again.

"Oh my, your Highness, are you quite alright?"

"I'm not sure, Threepio. Maybe I'd better go to the doct..." she paused suddenly, having felt a flutter of the Force. "Oh no... I think I know..." She placed a hand on her abdomen absentmindedly, and sure enough, she could feel something there. It was faint, but it was unmistakable. She threw on clothes and rushed to the medical bay as quickly as she could.

"We cannot tell this soon," a robot nurse stated. "It is not possible to confirm for a couple of weeks, but the symptoms sound positive."

"Positive, huh?" She muttered.

She thought, _you make it sound like a good thing..._

Leia sat in her room and waited for Han to return. The last of the set-up for the rebel base was happening. He was a part of the final shipment, so he should have been back.

"Threepio, do you know where Han is?" Leia asked.

"Yes ma'am, he was sent on a scouting mission with Master Luke. They are to check for signs of life and report back this evening before dark."

"Thank you."

 _I'm not going to tell him_ , she resolved. _He doesn't need to know. This will ruin what we've had. I know he's planning on fleeing as soon as we're done with set-up, and that's what I'll let him do_.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Han Returns to Hoth

To keep her mind off things, Leia went to the command center to check on progress. Han wandered in a few minutes later. She felt her eyes drawn to him, and she couldn't help but stare longer than her resolve wanted to allow. She pulled her eyes away and back to the computer screen while her heart was practically screaming that she should just blurt it all out.

Suddenly, she was snapped out of her head by overhearing Han talking to the Commander about... leaving? _So I was right_ , she thought. He looked over at her as he shook the Commander's hand, and all she could do was glare.

He looked confused, but he approached her anyway. "Well, your Highness, guess this is it." He stood with his hands in his pockets and a nonchalant charm that made her want to scream.

All she could muster was a cold, "That's right." She watched his expression go from confused to angry.

"Well don't get all mushy on me. So long, Princess," he spat at her.

All she could do was glare. _Why can't I just tell him everything?_

Suddenly gaining her resolve, she rushed after him. "Han!" She shouted as the doors flew open. He was rushing down the corridor away from her and everything that she wanted to say.

He turned, and with a snarky tone, answered, "Yes, your Highnessness?" He knew that she hated titles, and a made-up one only served to set her blood to boiling.

More softly than she meant it, she said, "I thought you had decided to stay."

"Well, the bounty hunter we ran into in Ord Mantell changed my mind."

"Han, we need you!" She wanted to say so much more– the meaning of "we" was different now.

" _We_ need?"

 _He caught that..._ she scolded herself. _Force he's quick-witted._

"Yes," she answered simply.

"Well what about _you_ need?" he probed.

"I need?" she repeated. _He's onto me_ , she thought. "I don't know what you're talking about." She brushed his comment off.

"You probably don't," he conceded as he whisked around the corner.

"And what precisely am I supposed to know?" she countered, staying in line with his large steps.

"Come on! You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me."

"Yes!" _Oh, for Force's sake..._ she tried to cover, "You're a great help to us. You're a natural leader."

"No! That's not it!" he snapped as he shoved an accusatory finger at her. "Come on. Ahhh? Come on."

"You're imagining things." _He's not. He's right_ , she thought sadly.

"Am I? Then why are you following me? Afraid I was gonna leave without giving you a good-bye kiss?"

"I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee!" She retorted. _Why am I saying these awful things to him? I just want to reach out and kiss him! Ask him to hold me..._

"I can arrange that!" She looked at him in shock as his anger peaked. "You could use a good kiss!" He yelled as he continued down the corridor– leaving her in the dust. She looked around to see if anyone had seen the exchange, and, wiping away a stray tear or two, she went back to the command center.

 _Maybe he'll answer the comm. link_ , she thought. Softly, she paged him, "Han? Han, are you there?" No answer.

Leia sank into a chair, defeated. She rested her head on her hand, and the Commander asked, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you Commander. Is Luke around? I'd like to talk to him."

"I'm afraid he has not answered any transmissions of any kind. We are trying to locate him now."

"Wasn't he with Han?" she asked.

"Yes, but it appears that they did not return together."

"That no good, lowlife scoundrel..." she grumbled. Into the comm. link, she called for Luke, then Han. No answer from either. The feeling in her abdomen grew. She could feel... dread. Danger. _What is this feeling?_ she thought. _Is this what Force feels like? It can't be... I'm imagining things._

Threepio entered the room. "Threepio," she called, "can you go tell Han that I'm trying to reach him on the communicator? Luke hasn't returned, and Han was the last one to see him."

"Of course ma'am." Threepio stated. "I shall tell him straight away. Come along R2."

She sank back into her chair. She closed her eyes and listened to all of the communications happening around her. One report that Luke hadn't checked in, one that he hadn't come through the South Entrance, and another that... _wait. Han is going out to find him?_

Leia knew the dangers of going out this late. The temperatures were dropping too rapidly. _If they're both out there... no, don't think that way._ She wrapped her arms around her middle instinctively and went to find Threepio.

In the hanger, a scout came rushing in to tell the Commander, "Sir, all patrols are in. Still no..." The Commander put his hand up and looked at her to shush him. _As if she wasn't going to find out anyway_ , she thought. More quietly, he said, "Still no contact from Skywalker or Solo."

"Mistress Leia," Threepio started, "R2 says he's been quite unable to pick up any signals, although he does admit that his own range is far too weak to abandon all hope." She already looked distraught when the Commander approached her.

"Your Highness, there's nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed." Leia nodded reluctantly, feeling as though her whole world were collapsing around her. She and Chewie knew what this really meant. They weren't returning.

Threepio, never knowing when to hold back, told her, "R2 says the chances of survival are 725 to 1." All she could do was stare. She watched the doors shut knowing that she was shutting Han out more than she already had. She never got to tell him that she was pregnant. She never got to tell him how she felt, or to find out if he felt the same way. Chewie bellowed as the metal doors clanked, and Threepio continued, "Actually, R2 has been known to make mistakes... from time to time." She couldn't even look up. All she felt was dread. A hollow, empty dread. She wandered back to her room slowly and tried to clear her mind. As she cleared it, she could sense something. It was Luke. She shook her head in an effort to rid the crazy feeling. Her abdomen emitted what seemed, at least in her mind, like the Aurora Borealis. Following that feeling, she could sense Luke and somehow knew that he was okay. Han had found him. _Am I Force-sensitive?_ she thought. _I can't be. That's crazy._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Empire Knows**

They watched Luke in the regeneration tank without speaking. Their mutual concern for him brought them together again, but if Leia was being honest, she couldn't stand the sight of Han right now.

When they went to check on him in the room, Han coolly turned to her and said, "Well your Worship, looks like you managed to keep me around for a little while longer."

She smiled ever so slightly and gave a snarky reply, "I had nothing to do with it. General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for any ships to leave the system until we've activated the energy field." _Believe me_ , she thought to herself, _I'd just as soon like to see you booted out of here._

"That's a good story," he answered with his usual cockiness. "I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight."

She was fuming! "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain." Chewie chuckled at that one.

Han looked at Chewie angrily. "Laugh it up, fuzzball, but you didn't see us alone in the south passage." Han walked toward her, apparently unaware that if looks could kill, she would've knocked him down minutes ago. "She expressed her true feelings for me." He wrapped his arm around her, and she could not believe his nerve.

"My... Why, you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder!" She blurted out clumsily. He turned to her and retorted, "Who's scruffy-looking?" Her chest raised and fell with heavy breathing. Her thoughts betrayed her actions, and her heart betrayed her mind.

Han leaned over to Luke and said slyly, "I must've hit pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, huh kid?" Everyone in the room turned to see her reaction. She sauntered to the bedside, not ready to give up.

"Well, I guess you don't know everything about women yet." She reached out, grabbed Luke's head, and pulled him in for a rough kiss. It certainly wasn't romantic, but it got a point across to Han. She left the room feeling victorious, and yet, her gut was telling her to go in and apologize.

A transmission came across the base: "Headquarters personnel, report to command center." _Uh oh_ , she thought. _They know we're here._

She rushed back to the command center. _Good, some work to take my mind off of things for a little while_.

The Commander filled her in. "Princess, we have a visitor."

Han wandered right into the middle of everything. _What is he doing here?_

"Picked up something outside the base's Zone 12 moving east. It's metal."

"Then it couldn't be one of those creatures," she deduced.

"Could be a speeder, one of ours," Han chimed in.

"No," said the Commander. "Wait, there's something very weak coming through."

Threepio now joined the group, "Sir, I am fluent in over six million forms of communication. This signal is not used by the Alliance. It could be an imperial code."

Han grew more concerned. "It isn't friendly, whatever it is. Come on, Chewie, let's check it out."

 _Please be careful_ , she prayed. She and the others stayed to monitor the situation through their communicators. Han finally reported in. "I'm afraid there's not much left."

She sighed, glad to hear that he was fine. "What was it?"

"Droid of some kind. I didn't hit it that hard. Must've had a self-destruct."

"An imperial probe droid," she stated.

Han sighed on the other side of the crackly transmission, knowing what this would mean. "It's a good bet the Empire knows we're here."

"We'd better start the evacuation," said the Commander. Everyone in the room seemed to collectively sigh. They had just finished setting up base here, but they knew they needed to go. They needed to pack everything they could onto the transports and prepare for a ground assault, and everything started moving like gears in motion as quickly as they had stopped.

Leia went to see Luke. She didn't know why, but she felt like she could trust him. They had a bond– somehow.

She entered his room and he immediately sat up. "Leia, what's the matter?" he asked quickly. He was always so perceptive.

"Luke, I don't know what to do with Han." Luke just sat there. He could feel her nervousness.

"What do you mean?" he finally answered.

"Luke, can I trust you with something?"

"Anything!" he offered quickly. "How can I help?"

"Luke, I think I'm pregnant. Han is the father." She sighed as she let go of some of her burden. "There's more," she continued, "I've been having these... feelings... I think I may be Force-sensitive. It's because of these feelings that I know I am with child. I can't explain it, but there's this sense that... that..." she started to cry.

"Hey, hey, it's alright." Luke jumped up from the bed to comfort her. He wrapped around her in a caring embrace. They sat down on the edge of the bed together.

"I can't tell him," she finally blurred out. "He drives me crazy! I just want to tell him, but it will ruin everything– for everyone. He is a lone pilot..." she chuckled weakly, "a Solo."

Luke sat for a minute and gathered his thoughts. "Leia, you have to tell him. He needs to know. Besides, he's crazy about you."

"What? He certainly doesn't act like it."

"As much as he drives you crazy, you do the same to him, but that's what makes you two perfect for each other. I won't tell him, but you should."

Leia thought about what he said for a moment, then she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. "I'll tell him after we evacuate."

"Evacuate?!" Luke sputtered. "Geez, a guy gets wounded and is sidelined for a day and we have to evacuate?"

"I thought you knew. The Empire knows our location. We are evacuating right now. I'm going back to the command center to organize the transports."

"As soon as I get out of here you can count on me being in a fighter." Luke called the robot nurse over and asked to be discharged.

Leia started to leave and turned around. "Hey Luke... thanks." She ran over to give him a big hug and smile. "I knew I could count on you."

Luke hugged her back, and when he did, he also noticed a little extra force coming off of her. "Any time." She turned to leave and he said, "Hey Leia, I felt it too. Looks like you _are_ Force-sensitive. And right." With a reassured smile, she ran down the corridor to go talk to the pilots.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Escaping Hoth**

"All troop carriers will assemble at the north entrance. The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they're loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy field can only be opened for a short time, so you'll have to stay very close to your transports," she ordered. This is where she was most comfortable– leading troops and calculating the best chances of success. She has always had a knack for it.

"Two fighters against a Stardestroyer?" one of the pilots questioned. She hated when anyone questioned her authority, but who could blame them– it did sound crazy.

She quickly answered, proving her superior thinking, "The ion cannon will fire several shots to make sure that any enemy ships will be out of your flight path. When you've gotten past the energy shield, proceed directly to the rendezvous point. Understood?" A chorus of agreement followed, and she was satisfied that her pilots were prepared. "Good luck," she stated with a warm gesture.

She returned to the command center to monitor everything.

The first transport got out without trouble. She let out a heavy sigh of relief as everyone cheered. _They're going to be okay_ , she reassured herself. The presence in her abdomen suddenly made her happy. It was as if it were cheering her on. She placed a hand there and silently willed positive thoughts to her child. We're going to be okay too, little one. She chuckled at herself. Of all times, now she is coming to terms with this crazy idea.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the Commander. "I don't think we can protect two transports at a time."

"It's risky, but we can't hold out much longer," she affirmed. "We have no choice."

He nodded in understanding. "Launch patrol."

"Evacuate remaining ground staff," she ordered. She went to the main control space– she wanted to personally see that everyone got out safely.

Suddenly, Han showed up. He was the last person she wanted to see right now. She didn't need this.

He yelled out, "Are you alright?" More harshly than he'd care to admit.

"Why are you still here?" She yelled back.

He shrugged and replied, "Heard the command center had been hit."

Without even looking at him, she snapped, "You've got your clearance to leave." The feeling in her gut was twisting her in knots. She couldn't even look at him. She leaned on the back of the chair in front of her to steady herself. She knew that she needed to make sure her people were out of there.

"Don't worry. I'll leave," Han snapped. "First I'm gonna get you to your ship."

Threepio chimed in, "Your Highness, we must take this last transport. It's our only hope."

She avoided Han's grasp as much as she could. "Send all troops in Sector 12 to the south slope to protect the fighters." She had to stay on task. A blast made its way into the bunker. She grabbed onto something to steady herself.

A transmission came through the speaker: "Imperial troops have entered the base... Imperial troops have entered..."

Han grabbed her arm. "Come on, that's it." She looked at him with more emotion than he could read in that short instant. His touch sent her body tingling.

She turned to the Commander, "Give the evacuation code signal." Han pulled her roughly toward the door, knowing that she wasn't willingly leaving before anyone.

"And get to your transports!" she called out. He dragged her out into the corridor.

"Han, slow down!" she yelled at him.

"We don't have time to slow down, sweetheart," he replied coldly.

"Han, I need to talk to you."

"Look, now's not the time for your speech about saving the Alliance. I ain't stayin', and you can't make me. I'm leaving as soon as I get you outta here."

She just shook her head in reply. She suddenly darted past him– wanting nothing more than to be away from him in this moment. He chased after her, and as they rounded a corner, a blast came through the wall. She screamed, and he jumped on her to protect her from the falling debris.

She slowly got up and heard him say, "Transport, this is Solo. Better take off. I can't get to you. I'll get her out on the Falcon." Frustrated with her behavior, he grabbed her arm harshly again. "Come on."

They booked it to the ship knowing that imperial troops weren't far behind. Once aboard, Han tried starting the ship and nothing happened.

"How's this?" he yelled to Chewie.

"Would it help if I got out and pushed?" she asked with a sneer.

"It might!" he replied with just as much annoyance.

She followed him to the cockpit and jabbed at him again, "This bucket of bolts is never gonna get us past that blockade." She knew the Falcon was his pride and joy, and insulting it would make him angrier.

"This baby's got a few surprises left in her, sweetheart." To Chewie, "Come on, come on. Switch over. Let's just hope we don't have a burnout."

Sure enough, the old bucket of bolts fired up, and it was taking out a couple of clones. "See?" he cheered triumphantly.

"Someday you're gonna be wrong, and I just hope I'm there to see it," she pouted.

"Punch it!" he commanded Chewie.

As soon as they cleared the planet, Leia sat to calm down. When she did, suddenly the movement of the ship got to her. She had never been motion sick before, but she guessed that this was something to do with yesterday's surprise.

She stood again, and for some reasons that helped her a bit. She leaned on the back of Han's chair to steady herself, and she grabbed her stomach in an effort to will it calmer.

"Prepare to make the jump to light speed," Han told Chewie.

"But sir!" Threepio insisted.

"They're getting closer," she warned, sitting down again. She placed her hand on her forehead and shut her eyes in an attempt to get control over her body.

"Oh yeah?" Han teased. "Watch this!"

He pulled one of the controls, and the ship sputtered a bit.

Coming out of her daze, she snapped, "Watch what?" She was thrown back onto the chair with the jolt of a blast hitting the ship. She grabbed her abdomen in panic.

"I think we're in trouble..." Han admitted.

"If I may say so, sir," Threepio jumped in, "I noticed earlier the hyperdrive motivator has been damaged. It's impossible to go to light speed."

"We're in trouble!" Han stated as he jumped up from his chair.

None of the excitement was helping Leia, and in Han and Chewie's absence she let out a few very unladylike burps. She was becoming queasier by the second, and Han was bound to notice it if she didn't start getting better.

Suddenly, an asteroid came hurling at the ship. The entire Falcon shook, but as promised, she held together.

"Han, get up here!" Leia called over the comm. link.

"Asteroids." She stated as he and Chewie rushed back to their positions. She squeezed past him trying not to make eye contact. He couldn't know she was sick.

"Chewie, set two-seven-one."

"What are you doing?" she questioned. "You're not actually going into an asteroid field?!"

"They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?" he answered with a sly smile.

She held onto the back of Chewie's chair to steady herself and swallowed deeply. Trying to get him to stop maneuvering so crazily, she blurted out, "You don't have to do this to impress me."

Threepio jumped in again, "Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1."

"Never tell me the odds!"

Leia held on tightly and tried her best to remain calm. She couldn't take her eyes off of the rocks that seemed to barely miss every time.

"Agh," she accidentally let slip a cry after the ship was shaken, as was her worsening stomach.

"You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake. This could be it, sweetheart."

Desperately, and trying to hold down her lunch, she quickly answered, "I take it back!"

Regaining some composure, she warned him, "We're going to get pulverized if we stay out here much longer."

"Ain't gonna argue with that... I'm going in closer to one of the big ones."

"Closer?" Both she and Threepio were shocked.

The ship ducked down to a large asteroid, and in all of the fancy maneuvering Han did, she didn't see any of it. Leia clung to the side of her seat with her eyes closed. Praying that they would be still soon.

Han turned around, somewhat out of pride to see if she saw him trick those fighters. He looked at the state she was in and asked abruptly, "Are you motion sick right now? Since when does that happen?"

She shook her head very slightly, but quickly to tell him that she couldn't answer right now.

"Well, don't hurl in my ship sweetheart, or you're cleaning it up." She put her hand over her mouth and tried to suppress the nausea. Threepio mechanically rubbed her back, which provided little comfort.

Han straightened out the ship, and she was able to uncoil from her practically fetal position.

"Oh this is suicide," Threepio cried. "There's nowhere to go."

"There. That looks pretty good." Han pointed.

Leia pulled herself up to look, but saw nothing of significance. "What looks pretty good?" she asked weakly.

"Yeah, that'll do nicely." Han grinned.

As thy flew into a cave in the asteroid, Leia whispered to him, "I hope you know what you're doing."

Han answered, "Yeah. Me, too."


	5. Chapter 5

They were safely on land... well, rock. As unstable as it was, it was better than flying.

Han entered the cockpit after checking on some things. "I'm gonna shut down everything except the emergency power systems."

"Sir, I'm almost afraid to ask, but does that include me, too?" Threepio asked.

"No, I need you to talk to the Falcon. Find out what's wrong with the hyperdrive."

The ground shifted and shook the entire ship.

"Sir, its quite possible this asteroid is not entirely stable."

"Not entirely stable? I'm glad you're here to tell us these things. Chewie, take the professor in the back and plug him into the hyperdrive."

"Oh, sometimes I just don't understand human behavior. After all, I'm only trying to do my job."

The door slammed shut behind him, and Han and Leia were alone for the first time since they last argued. The ship jerked to the right with another movement from the asteroid. Leia fell across the cockpit and landed in Han's arms. He was so close, and all she wanted to do was hold on, but her mind knew better.

"Let go," she ordered softly. His hand was around her middle– large and gentle. She loved his hands. She wanted to hold it there and tell him.

"Shh," he hushed her, not letting go. The whole ship shook again.

"Let go, please." she repeated as she tried to squirm away from him. She couldn't be in his arms right now. It was all too confusing.

"Don't get excited!" he blurted out.

She couldn't take it– even in a potentially sweet moment, he had to ruin everything. "Captain," she said, trying to throw him off-guard by using his title instead of his name, "being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited," _But Oh, Force it is,_ she thought to herself.

He picked her up with ease and placed her on her feet as if she were a doll. "Sorry sweetheart. I haven't got time for anything else." She couldn't believe him! He left the cockpit, and she seethed in her frustration. She sat in his captain's chair and calmed down after a few minutes. _Why can't I just tell him? No, he's leaving once we're done. I can't expect him to stay. Would he? No..._

Her thoughts swirled in her head. She couldn't shake them. She decided to tinker. Maybe she could be of some use to Han's efforts in repairing the ship.

As she was struggling with turning a lever, Han appeared behind her. He reached over her to do it, but she body checked him out of the way. She was certain that she didn't need his help. He reeled back, shocked at the physical outburst.

"Hey, your Worship, I'm only trying to help."

 _Yeah, you've done enough already_ , she thought. "Would you please stop calling me that?"

"Sure, Leia," he answered sweetly. She liked the way he said her name. It was always soft. She could be in the worst mood, but hearing him say her name was as refreshing as a cool glass of water.

She gave up on the lever. She sighed without looking at him, "You make it so difficult sometimes." _Just tell him you love him!_ her mind screamed.

"I do. I really do," he conceded. She started to try the lever again. He added, "You could be a little nicer, though. Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm alright."

She accidentally jammed her finger and turned away from the metal in defeat. Examining her hand, she told him, "Occasionally, maybe... When you aren't acting like a scoundrel." He grabbed her hands.

"Scoundrel? Scoundrel?" He asked as he massaged her hurt finger. With a smile, he answered, "I like the sound of that."

Her skin was on fire. He was touching her– sweet, caring, and selfless. This was going to lead where she didn't want it to. "Stop that," she ordered.

"Stop what?" he teased.

"Stop that," she breathed. He was winning here. "My hands are dirty."

"My hands are dirty too. What are you afraid of?"

"Afraid?" _He can see right through me. He's so close to me... oh Force I love him..._

"You're trembling." She backed into the wall, hoping he would stop so she didn't have to admit anything to him.

"I'm not trembling," she lied. It wasn't very convincing. He slowly leaned in. She wanted to retreat, but she stayed. They locked eyes and moved closer.

"You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life."

She could barely breathe an answer. "I happen to like nice men." Her stomach was hot with desire. They were centimeters apart.

"I'm a nice man," he whispered into her mouth as he went in for a passionate kiss.

"No you're not. You're..." she couldn't finish her sentence because his lips cut her off. She never believed that it was possible to see fireworks during a kiss, but she did. Their tongues tangoed, his hands explored her back, she grabbed his neck to pull him closer, and it was magic. He took her breath away... until Threepio interrupted.

"Sir, sir! I've isolated the reverse power flux coupling," he cheered proudly. They let go, and immediately realizing her mistake, Leia retreated back to the cockpit while he talked to Threepio.

 _How can I do this? He's going to leave. I can't fall for him harder. He's leaving, I'm dealing with this on my own, and that's it._

She shut the door and immediately stared crying. She sank down to the floor against the wall and let all of her emotion out. All she wanted was for Han to know her burdens, to stay by her side, and to love her like she loved him.

She was sitting in Han's chair sulking when a creature appeared on the window. She almost fell out of the chair. She ran to get him.

"There's something out there!"

"Where?"

"Outside in the cave."

"There it is!" Threepio panicked. "Listen. Listen!"

"I'm going out there," Han decided quickly.

"Are you crazy?" Leia rebuked.

"I just got this bucket back together. I'm not gonna let something tear it apart." The last person he was going to listen to right now would be her.

"Then I'm going with you," she stated as she rushed to grab an oxygen mask. Chewie was close behind.

It was cold, dark, and damp in the cave. "The ground here sure feels strange. It doesn't feel like rock," she observed.

"There's an awful lot of moisture in here," Han added.

"I don't know... I have a bad feeling about this."

"Yeah." Han turned quickly and saw the culprit. "Watch out!" He skillfully shot it down off the ship.

"It's all right. Yeah, that's what I thought. Mynock. Chewie, check the rest of the ship and make sure there are no more attached, chewing on the power cables."

"Mynocks..." Leia looked around carefully, wondering what might be next.

"Go on inside. We'll clean them off if there are any more."

Two flew right past her head with a screechy noise. She covered her head and yelled for him. "Han!" She hurried back toward the ship. Chewie and Han started shooting at the Mynocks when the ground violently shook again.

"Wait a minute," Han wondered. He shot the ground with a blaster and it moved again. They could barely keep themselves upright as the ground squirmed under them. They all rushed onto the ship, and Han ordered, "Let's get outta here!"

She tried to argue, "The Empire is still out there! I don't think..."

He interrupted her, "No time to discuss this in committee!" Han ran around firing up the ship.

"I am not a committee!" she retorted. She followed him into the cockpit. "You can't make the jump to light speed in this asteroid field." She fell on top of him as everything shifted again.

He pushed her off and said, "Sit down sweetheart, we're taking off!"

"Look!" Threepio stammered.

"I see it, I see it," Han answered.

"We're doomed!" Threepio cried.

"The cave is collapsing..." she said in astonishment.

"This is no cave..." Han warned.

"What?"

They narrowly escaped the closing teeth of the creature, but the Falcon was just as fast as Han claimed it was.

"Well, your Highness. What do you think of that maneuvering? You're lucky to be with the most skilled pilot around," he stated confidently while he put his hands behind his head.

Leia stormed out of the cockpit unable to take it any longer. Han gave Chewie a look and followed.

"Hey, you mind telling me what the problem is, Princess?"

"I just can't be around you right now!" She countered.

"And why is that? You seemed to be able to stand it when we were kissing."

"I just... you ruin everything!" she screamed suddenly.

"Woah, now wait a minute. I just saved you from a giant space beast! You could at least say thank you."

"Thank you?! You're the reason we were in there to begin with."

Han grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but she couldn't.

"I can't be near you right now!"

"Why?" He pulled her body completely up against his.

"Han, I'm pregnant!" she yelled. He immediately let go, and she stepped back, covering her mouth. She sighed slowly. "I'm pregnant, and it's yours."

Han stared at her with his mouth open. He hadn't formed any complete thoughts yet.

"Look, Han, I'm sorry. I wasn't going to tell you. I didn't want you to find out. It's all so confusing. I know you're leaving as soon as..." He placed a finger on her mouth to quiet her.

"Leia..." he whispered. Without saying anything else, he pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her passionately.

After a long, breathtaking kiss, he pulled away and looked at her inquisitively. "Is this what has been on your mind?"

She nodded silently.

"Leia, everything will be fine. It'll all work out. I promise." He started to kiss her again, but they were interrupted by a blast hitting the ship.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Stardestroyer**

Han gave her a quick kiss before they rushed back to the cockpit.

"Han?" she asked before they went back in.

"Yeah?" he said quickly.

"Can we talk later?"

"Yeah..." he said uneasily. "Let's get around the Empire first, but I promise we'll talk later."

She was satisfied with his answer. She knew that he would need some time to process, and while they were being attacked by a Stardestroyer was not the time to think.

They took their seats as Threepio stated, "Oh, thank goodness we're coming out of the asteroid field."

 _Yeah, thank goodness– right into enemy fire_... she shook her head at the silly robot.

"Let's get out of here," Han announced. "Ready for light speed?" Chewie groaned a reply. "One... Two... Three!" Nothing.

Leia shook her head. _Just when I was starting to think he was a hero,_ she thought. _How are we going to get out of this one?_

"It's not fair," Han sputtered. Chewie started throwing a fit.

"Transfer circuits aren't working! It's not my fault!" Han yelled.

"No light speed?" Leia picked on him.

"It's not my fault..." He turned to look at her for an instant, but he quickly turned back– he didn't know how to deal with the news she had just given him, and he couldn't think about that right now.

They were hit directly in the rear of the ship.

"Sir, we've just lost the main rear deflector shield," Threepio announced. "One more direct hit on the back quarter and we're done for."

"Turn her around," Han ordered Chewie.

 _What is he thinking?_ Leia questioned.

"I said turn her around! I'm gonna put all power in the front shield!" Han called out.

"You're going to attack them?!" Leia shouted. _This is it!_ she thought. _I've made him suicidal. He's going to kill all of us..._

Han scrambled back to his seat as Threepio cried, "Sir, the odds of surviving a direct assault in an imperial Stardestroyer..."

"Shut up!" Leia yelled. Han flipped the ship around, and off they went. Suddenly, as they passed over the ship, he lurched downward, latched the Falcon onto the side of the Stardestroyer, and turned off the power.

Everyone in the cockpit looked at him– amazed at this tactic. Leia started to speak, and he shushed her quickly.

So impressed with his wit, she reached out and put a hand on his thigh where the others couldn't see it. He immediately tensed up, and she squeezed and massaged his leg. He was trying to focus on the Stardestroyers to see if they would spot them, but he was having a hard time focusing on anything besides her small hand making circles on his leg.

"Captain Solo," Threepio butted in. "This time you've gone too far." Chewie bellowed to get him to shut up. "No, I will not be quiet, Chewbacca. Why doesn't anyone listen to me?" he whined.

Han placed a hand over hers– sorry to make her stop. "The fleet's beginning to break up," he noted. He said to Chewie, "Go back and stand by the manual release for the landing claw."

She pulled her hand back slowly, glad to see that she had some control over him.

"I really don't see how that's going to help..." Threepio whined again. "Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme circumstances. The Empire may be gracious enough..." and with that, Leia shut him off. _Enough..._ she thought.

"Thank you..." Han grumbled.

"What did you have in mind for your next move?" She asked him sweetly.

"Well, if they follow standard imperial procedure, they'll dump their garbage before they go to light speed, and then we just float away." She looked at him with care as he talked.

"With the rest of the garbage," she said understandingly. "Then what?" _Hopefully we can get some time to be alone..._

"Then we gotta find a safe port somewhere around here," he stated, turning on the computer screen.

He leaned in closer to her, and she could smell his cologne. It was intoxicating. "Any ideas?" he asked, snapping her back to the task at hand.

"Where are we?" she asked, swallowing a bit.

"The Anoat system."

"The Anoat system– there's not much there," she whispered.

"No. Well, wait. This is interesting. Lando!" He proclaimed proudly.

"Lando system?" she asked. _Now he's making things up..._

"Lando's not a system, he's a man. Lando Calrissian. He's a card player, gambler... a scoundrel," he smiled at her. "You'd like him."

"Thanks..." she sighed. _There's only one scoundrel I have my eyes on_ , she thought.

"Bespin. It's pretty far, but I think we can make it."

"A mining colony?"

"Yeah, a tibanna gas mine. Lando conned somebody out of it. We go back a looong way, Lando and me."

She thought about how he might be putting them all in more danger, especially now that they had an extra thing to worry about protecting. "Can you trust him?"

"No, but he's got no love for the Empire, I can tell you that."

The garbage chute opened, and Han said into the communicator, "Here we go Chewie, stand by. Detach."

The ship lurched and they started floating with the rest of the garbage. The Stardestroyer didn't notice a thing.

"You do have your moments..." she said as she patted him on the back softly. "Not many of them," she smiled, "but you do have them." She kissed his temple and he smirked as she sat back down.

Han realized that with Threepio off, and Chewie checking things out on the deck, they were alone– for a few minutes at least.

"Hey," he started. "How are you doing? I mean, do you feel okay?" he asked sweetly– not really sure what to ask in the first place.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she said. "Not motion sick right now. I'm pretty tired, though."

"Well, it's gonna be a while before we can get to Lando. Maybe you should go rest."

"Yeah, that sounds good. I think I will." She was a little disappointed, admittedly, but she couldn't blame him. She was hoping they could talk– really talk, but he didn't seem ready. She sighed and got up to leave.

Han sat there for a second, realizing that she was hoping for more, and then he got up too. He stopped her right outside the doorway. "Hey, Leia." She turned quickly, unsure of what he was going to say. "Um... I'm not gonna let anything... ya know... happen to you. Or..." he fumbled with his words.

"It's okay Han. I know you need time to process this. I still need more time."

He shook his head. "No, I mean it Leia. Lando's a friend, but you're right, and I don't totally trust him. I'm going to take care of you, and... and _our baby_ ," he whispered happily. He was glad to have said that.

" _Our baby_..." she whispered. "That sounds so crazy..."

He didn't say anything in response, but instead he pulled her close and wrapped her in a large hug. They stood like that for a long time just feeling each other's warmth and breathing. He kissed her on the top of the head and stated, "You should rest. I'll send Golden Rod to wake you up when we're close."

She nodded and left him with a drawn-out kiss. _Maybe he is my hero_ … she thought.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Lando**

"Excuse me, Miss, but I was sent by Captain Solo to wake you," Threepio said.

Leia awoke and was immediately nauseous. She rushed to a 'fresher and vomited.

"Are you alright ma'am? Should I get Captain Solo?"

"I'm alright, Threepio," she said roughly. "I'll just be happy when we land." She grabbed a mint and headed to the cockpit– she still was pretty nauseous, but she was hoping her stomach would calm down.

As they flew into Bespin, the clouds were a gorgeous pink.

Leia entered the cockpit as Han was arguing with someone through his communicator. He looked up as she grabbed the back of his chair for support, shutting her eyes. _Please calm down, baby_ , she thought.

"Hey, you alright?" Han looked her up and down, but she grabbed her stomach as she felt a burp coming, and she gave him a look saying they'd better land soon. He nodded, and she looked out the window.

"No, I don't have a landing permit..." he sighed. "I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian." Han was getting more and more frustrated. A patrol ship suddenly fired two laser blasts at them. "Wait a minute! Let me explain!" Han yelled into the communicator.

"You will not deviate from your present course," a mechanical voice told them.

"Rather touchy, aren't they?" asked Threepio.

"I thought you knew this person," Leia asked.

Chewie said something to Han, and he answered, "That was a long time ago. I'm sure he's forgotten about that." Leia couldn't believe him. It was always something.

"I thought you were going to protect... us..." she hinted.

"I am– I will! It'll all be fine..." he told her. He grumbled to himself, "I hope."

"Permission granted to land on Platform 3-2-7," the mechanical voice came through again.

"Thank you." To reassure Leia, Han said, "Nothing to worry about. We go way back, Lando and me."

The feeling in her gut changed from sick to sensing danger. Somehow she knew this wasn't right. Something was about to happen. Reading Han's emotions, she asked, "Who's worried?"

They landed on the platform, and they started to get ready to get off the ship. Han let Chewie and Threepio go ahead, and then he pulled Leia aside.

"Maybe you should stay on the ship. Stay hidden."

"Hidden?"

"Well, I mean, I'm sure it's going to be alright, but just in case..." He was worried.

"I can handle myself just fine," she insisted. "I can shoot a blaster better than you!"

"You haven't proven that," he warned. He was getting agitated. He just wanted to protect her. "Besides, you shouldn't even go near a blaster in your condition."

She paused, suddenly realizing what he was talking about. "In my condition?! Han, I'm the same person– there's nothing different. I can take care of myself, and I don't need you to baby me!" She tried to rush off, and he grabbed her wrist more roughly than he had meant to.

"Ow, you're hurting me." He let go, visibly sorry for having tweaked her small wrist. He knew he wasn't any good at mushy stuff. He looked at her apologetically.

"Who's babying? I'm just saying..." he trailed off as Threepio joined them near the door. He whispered, "You need to be careful, and if you're not, I've got your back."

"We'll finish this conversation later..." she said through her gritted teeth. "I'm telling you that nothing is different– don't treat me any differently."

The door opened and they stepped out onto the platform. Han wasn't very satisfied with how that conversation had gone, but he needed to put on a grin for Lando.

"No one to greet us," Threepio stated.

"I don't like this..." Leia said, shaking her head.

"Well, what would you like?" Han said roughly.

"They did let us land..." Threepio added.

Han approached her, and she could feel how sorry he was in his look. "Look, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. Trust me."

A door opened, and a bunch of people started walking toward them.

"See? My friend," Han said. He walked over to Chewie and told him, "Keep your eyes open, huh?" Chewie nodded in agreement.

"Hey!" Han greeted too cheerfully. Lando walked across the platform quickly, stopping halfway to leave space between them.

He called out, "Why, you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler. You've got a lot of guts coming here after what you pulled."

Leia's stomach clinched in concern. Han gave Lando a confused, pouty look, and Lando came at him. Leia and Chewie were ready to fight when he instead went in for a hug. They all breathed a sigh of relief.

"How you doin' you old pirate? So good to see you!" Lando laughed.

Leia still wasn't convinced. Something was telling her there was danger near.

"Well, he seems friendly," Threepio said.

"Yes," she said sarcastically. "Very friendly."

Lando asked Han, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, repairs. I thought you could help me out."

"What have you done to my ship?" Lando asked quickly.

"Your ship?" Han countered. "Hey, remember, you lost her to me fair and square."

Chewie, Threepio, and Leia approached them.

"How you doin' Chewbacca?" Lando asked. "You still hanging around with this loser?"

Leia chuckled. _Maybe Lando does have some redeeming qualities._

She looked at Lando with an I'm-warning-you stare.

"Hello. What have we here?" He asked. _Pig_... she thought.

Turning on the charm, he said, "Welcome, I'm Lando Calrissian. I'm the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?"

 _Don't patronize me_... she thought. "Leia," she answered simply.

"Welcome Leia," he kissed her hand, and she shot a glance at Han. He suddenly got a little protective and grabbed her hand from Lando saying, "Alright, alright, you old smoothie." She chuckled again as Han led her away.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her as they headed toward the door.

"I know you are..." she whispered back. "I'm sorry too."

They followed Lando on a tour of the facility, and then he brought them somewhere to rest, get washed up, and change.

An hour later, Leia paced back and forth in the sky-high apartment Lando had brought them to.

"The ship's almost finished. Only two or three more things, and we're in good shape," Han announced.

"The sooner the better. Something's wrong here," she snapped. "No one has seen or knows anything about Threepio. He's been gone too long to have gotten lost." Her temper was really getting out of control. For some reason she felt totally responsible for that robot– almost a maternal instinct (even though he was just a droid and never had a mother.)

Han grabbed her shoulders to calm her down. He kissed her on top of her head, and she took a quick breath.

"Relax," he said calmly. "I'll talk to Lando and see what I can find out." He placed a hand on her cheek as he talked.

"I don't trust Lando," she said slowly as she pulled away from him.

"Well, I don't trust him either. But he is my friend. Besides... we'll soon be gone."

"Then you're as good as gone, aren't you?" He looked in her eyes then down at her abdomen.

"I don't know anymore..." he admitted, looking back into her eyes.

Chewie came back with bits of Threepio piled into a box.

"What happened?" Leia asked.

Chewie grumbled an answer.

"Where?" Han asked.

Chewy bellowed loudly.

"Found him in a junk pile?"

"What a mess..." Leia said. "Chewie, you think you can repair him?"

Chewie shrugged. He would try.

"Lando's got people that can fix him." Han offered.

"No thanks." She gave him a warning look to say _Don't bring it up again._

As if on cue, Lando entered. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting anything?"

"Not really." Leia pulled the front of her jacket tighter over her middle. Lando gave her a bad feeling, and her gut was wrenching every time she looked at him. Plus, it was more proper for her to be more covered up– even though she had changed into her comfortable outfit.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Lando stated, looking her up and down.

 _Please stop that._.. she thought.

"You truly belong here with us among the clouds."

"Thank you," she reluctantly accepted the compliment. Han glared at Lando. Friendship really didn't mean anything with him when a pretty woman came into the picture. Han knew that before, but it had never mattered to him so much.

"Would you join me for a little refreshment?" he said, extending his hand to her. Chewie griped at him. "Everyone's invited, of course." Leia took his hand weakly, but Han came and extended an arm to her while Lando was distracted by the pile of Threepio parts. Leia gladly took Han's elbow instead of Lando's hand.

"Having trouble with your droid?" Lando asked.

"No," Han answered. "No problem. Why?"

They walked down the hall together, and they chatted about the mining facility. Han asked, "Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation, shut you down?"

"It's always been a danger that looms like a shadow over everything we've built. But things have developed that'll ensure security." As they reached the door, Lando added, "I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever."

The door opened, and Darth Vader's heavy, mechanical breath filled the room. He stood up, and Han pulled out his blaster. He shot at Vader several times, but Vader blocked each shot then yanked the blaster from his hands with the Force.

Vader spoke calmly, "We would be honored if you would join us." Boba Fett appeared from a corner, and storm troops jumped out behind them. They were trapped.

"I had no choice. They arrived here right before you did. I'm sorry," Lando said dryly.

Han grabbed Leia's hand. "I'm sorry too." They shared a glance and then reluctantly entered the room.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Vader**

Vader ordered the troops to take Han to the interrogation room and Leia and Chewie to a holding room.

They marched down the hallway with the stormtroopers' guns in their backs. The stormtroopers threw them into a dark room and shut the door quickly.

"What is going on, Chewie?" Leia rambled. Chewie grunted at her as he tinkered with Threepio. "I hope Han is okay..." She picked at her fingernails nervously.

The door opened and two stormtroopers entered. Leia looked up, but Han wasn't with them.

"Where is he?" she demanded forcefully.

"Come with us," one of the clones said to her, motioning to the door. Chewie jumped up and grabbed the gun from one of the stormtroopers while he threw the other against a wall. Leia jumped into the fight and tried to wrestle the gun from the one on the floor. More stormtroopers rushed in. She looked up, and when she was turned away, one of the clones kicked her in the stomach.

The blow blinded her. Everything went black for a moment. She curled up on the floor, and all she could do was gasp for breath. Chewie tried to get to her, but several stormtroopers were holding him down.

 _How could I be so stupid?_ she thought. _Han could be dead for all I know, and now I might've killed my baby too. Han was right._

The stormtroopers pulled her to her feet roughly while Chewy hollered for her. She was still slightly curled up. The pain in her stomach was unbearable, and as they brought her to another room, she was trying desperately to sense if the little Force inside her was still there.

Metal clanked as she was strapped into a chair. Vader entered, but she didn't even look at him.

"Princess Leia..." he sneered.

Still not looking, she answered, "What is it you want from me?"

Vader snickered. "I've just finished with your little boyfriend. The great Captain Solo begged that I not torture you. He was weak," he spat the words out with disgust. Leia finally looked at him. His mask was an odd thing to look at– she could read no emotion. She couldn't sense what he was feeling like she could with most people. It was like he was suppressing his feelings with the Force.

"Is Han..." Leia started to ask, but she couldn't finish the question.

"He is alive– barely." Vader spoke slowly.

Leia breathed a small sigh of relief.

"I cannot say the same for how you will be at the end of..."

"Please..." she said quickly. She surprised herself– begging for mercy was the last thing she wanted to do, but after what happened earlier, all she could think about was keeping the baby safe.

Vader read her feelings as he stared into her eyes.

"You're concerned not for yourself, but for... a child?" he questioned.

"I am pregnant…" she looked down shamefully. She did not want to give in to his threats. "Do whatever you want as long as it doesn't harm the unborn child." She began to tear up. "I don't know if it's still okay..."

"Strange... you remind me of someone I once knew... Feelings I have not thought about since… Enough! I will leave you unharmed. I can tell that your distress has been enough to garner his attention. I feel…"

Leia was suddenly able to read his emotions. They came flooding to her, and she was surprised to sense... Compassion? Loss? Sorrow?

Vader quickly called the stormtroopers standing guard. "I am finished here," he commanded. "Return her to the holding room and await further instruction."

Leia was brought back to the room where she and Chewie had been before. She immediately saw Han stretched out on a bed. She rushed over to him– he didn't look well. She caressed his forehead and said softly, "Why are they doing this?"

As she ran her fingers through his hair, he said with a blank look, "They never even asked me any questions." She kissed his forehead delicately.

The door suddenly opened as Lando walked in.

"Lando..." she told Han. Leia helped Han sit up, and Chewie growled at Lando.

"Get out of here, Lando." Han warned. He was trying to sound tough, but it was clear that he could barely sit up on his own.

"Shut up and listen!" he said quickly. "Vader's agreed to turn Leia and Chewie over to me. They'll have to stay here, but at least they'll be safe."

"What about Han?" Leia asked.

"Vader's giving him to the bounty hunter."

"Vader wants us all dead," she argued.

"He doesn't want you at all!" Lando was practically yelling, trying to get them to understand the situation. "He's after somebody called Skywalker."

"Luke?" Han said, sitting up a little.

"Vader set a trap for him," Lando continued.

"And we're the bait!" Leia understood.

"Yeah, well he's on his way," Lando informed them.

Han stood up with some difficulty. "You fixed us all real good, didn't you? My friend..." Han swung at Lando. Lando's men jumped on him, and they started beating him with the butt of their blasters. Leia jumped up to help Han.

"Stop!" Lando commanded. They stopped, and Han was on the floor in a heap.

"I've done all I can," Lando said. "I'm sorry I couldn't do better, but I've got my own problems."

From the ground, Han said, "Yeah. You're a real hero." Lando stormed out of the room while Leia helped Han sit up again. Chewie tried to pull him up, and he moaned in pain.

Smiling, Leia said to him, "You certainly have a way with people..." He let out a little chuckle, and she and Chewie pulled him to his feet slowly.

Once back on the bed, Leia sat down next to him. He grabbed her middle to pull her to him, and she winced.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he pulled his hands back.

"I'm fine," she insisted. She stood up in an effort to show that she was fine, but getting all the way upright hurt, and she winced again. Han took her hand and pulled her toward him.

"Are you hurt?"

"I didn't want to tell you. Chewie and I... we kind of got into a scrap with the stormtroopers."

Han turned around angrily to look at Chewie. "Chewie, is that true?" Chewie shrugged his shoulders, not understanding why Han was upset. Han was ready to yell at Chewie when Leia put a hand on his cheek to calm him down. He knew that Chewie didn't know any better, and he didn't know she was pregnant.

"Are you alright? Where are you hurt?"

She spoke slowly, knowing that she was probably about to get a lecture. "I got kicked... in the stomach."

"Leia," Han whispered. "Do you think... I mean, that's not good, right?" He carefully placed a hand on her stomach.

"Let me see if I can sense anything," she told him. Leia shut her eyes and tried to clear her mind of all thoughts and worry. She felt the warmth from Han's hand, and underneath, as if it were reaching out to him, she felt the Force of the little life inside her.

"It's okay," she smiled.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I'll see a doctor if we ever get out of here, but for now, yes, I'm sure." They kissed quickly, and Han turned to Chewie, who was very confused by what was going on.

"Chewie old pal, since I don't know what's going to happen here, and because you're the best buddy a guy could have, I want you to know. Leia and I are going to have a baby!"

Chewie bellowed loudly and dropped Threepio's head back on the table in celebration.

"What do you think? I'm going to be a dad," Han said as he hugged his furry friend.

Chewie went over to Leia and gave her a big hug too.

Han told her, "He says sorry for not protecting you well enough earlier. Next time he'll tear the limbs off of anyone who comes near you."

"How sweet… Thank you Chewie."

"So Chewie," Han said. "Whatever happens here, you protect her and the baby, got it?"

Chewie nodded in agreement and pulled them all in for a group hug.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:** **Carbon Freezing**

They marched to a platform– none of them knew why. The room was dark and mechanical. They walked toward Vader, who stood surrounded by guards.

"If only you'd attached my legs, I wouldn't be in this ridiculous position," Threepio nagged. "Now remember, Chewbacca, you have a responsibility for me, so don't do anything foolish."

Chewie, Leia, and Han were stopped across from Vader.

"What's going on, buddy?" Han said quietly to Lando. The distain in his voice was obvious.

"You're being put into carbon freeze."

Boba Fett approached Vader. "What if he doesn't survive? He's worth a lot to me."

Vader answered calmly, "The Empire will compensate you if he dies." The bounty hunter nodded slowly.

Leia and Han shared a long look. His eyes said everything she wanted to know. She tried to convey her feelings back to him.

"Put him in." Vader motioned with his hand.

Chewie bellowed. As the stormtroopers approached, he started fighting back. Chewie threw two over the edge and knocked another down.

"Stop, Chewie, stop! Listen to me, stop!" Han shouted.

"Stop please, I'm not ready to die!" Threepio cried from Chewie's back.

"Hey! Hey! Listen to me, Chewie," Han finally got his attention. The stormtroopers forced restraints onto his hairy wrists. "This won't help me."

Leia could barely breathe. She looked at Han, realizing how brave he really was. _It's not just blind courage– he knows when to concede. He knows that he can't win here, and he's accepting it... What did I get us into?  
_  
"Hey, save your strength. There will be another time," Han told Chewie.

Leia stared at Vader. She still could read his emotions. _Why was his guard not up against her anymore? So much anger... no, not anger: pain. He has grieved deeply_ , she thought.

"The princess," Han said, "you have to take care of her."

Leia gently took hold of Chewie's arm. She looked at him to say _Please, Chewie, listen to Han._ She took one of his hands and discreetly placed it on her stomach. Chewie sighed in understanding.

"Do you hear me? Huh?" Chewie agreed.

Han turned to Leia. Although only inches apart, the distance between them was incredible. She just wanted to run away with him– get away somehow and run far away. He leaned in for a kiss, and she gave all of her emotion to him. Their shared embrace was interrupted by a stormtrooper pulling them apart. She wanted to call out to him, to fight with everything she had, but it wouldn't help.

As they secured Han in place, Leia gazed at him longingly. She couldn't bear it.

"I love you," she admitted aloud. Her desire weighed down the words as they escaped her lips.

"I know," Han smirked. From where he stood, he looked at her stomach. She could feel that he wasn't worried for himself. He was worried for her and the baby. _He is a good man..._ she thought as she grabbed on to Chewie's arm.

Vader gave the signal, and Han was lowered into the hole with a clank. Leia held on to Chewie- half in an effort to hold herself back, and half because she wasn't sure that she'd be able to stay standing.

The carbon freezing was quick. A flash of white mist, and he was encased. Leia cried into Chewie's arm. She couldn't stand it. Seeing Han frozen was like her heart was being torn out.

Han was raised up, and a worker carelessly knocked him onto the floor. She jumped at the loud thud. Leia worriedly watched Lando approach the block of carbonite. Lando stared back at her, and he went to check the controls. While he fiddled with some buttons she was trying not to throw up from worry.

"Well, Calrissian, did he survive?" Vader asked coldly.

"Yes, he's alive. And in perfect hibernation." Leia couldn't take her eyes off of Han. _What a terrible fate..._

Vader told Boba Fett, "He's all yours, bounty hunter. Reset the chamber for Skywalker."

One of his minions entered and told him, "Skywalker has just landed, lord."

Leia looked at Chewie desperately. They couldn't allow Luke to suffer the same fate as Han. _If only there were some way to warn him_ , she thought.

"Good. See to it that he finds his way in here," Vader ordered.

Lando took Leia's arm, but she resisted him. _Don't you dare touch me_ , she thought to herself.

Vader interrupted. "Calrissian, take the princess and the Wookiee to my ship."

"You said they'd be left in the city under my supervision," Lando tried to argue.

"I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further." Vader left with a group of cronies.

Leia couldn't stop looking at Han's frozen form. She didn't really care what happened to her next. All that mattered was that she lost him… and Luke. Warning Luke was her next priority.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Escaping Bespin**

Chewie and Leia marched down the stark, white hallways in a group surrounded by stormtroopers. Calrissian led them to the other side of the building.

There was suddenly a commotion as one of the imperial officers motioned for some stormtroopers to break off from the group. Leia looked around to see where the laser blasts were coming from. The officer grabbed her roughly and dragged her into another corridor. She fought his grip, and as they rounded a corner, she saw Luke.

 _No,_ she thought. _He'll be destroyed for sure. I can't lose him too._

"Luke!" she screamed desperately, "Luke don't; it's a trap!" She grabbed the doorframe to fight the men dragging her away. "It's a trap!"

The stormtroopers quickly ushered them into a closet and locked the door to be sure Luke headed toward Vader. They were close together– too close. Leia's back was pressed up against Lando. She could feel him purposely press his body against her. He placed his hand on her shoulder gently, and she shook it off with distain.

"Don't touch me," she spat at him.

"It'll be alright…" he tried to comfort her– confused as to why she responded harshly.

"When we get away from the likes of you…" she responded shortly. She tried to get as far from him as she could. She was cuddled up against Chewie, who growled quietly at him. Lando threw his hands up in defeat, letting go of Leia and backing off.

Satisfied that Luke was past them, the stormtroopers opened the door, and they once again all continued down the hallway with Lando leading the way.

 _Where is he taking us?_ Leia thought. _It seems like we're walking in circles._ As they rounded a corner, Calrissian's men jumped the stormtroopers, and Calrissian took their weapons.

"Well done," he said to his people. "Hold them in the security tower. And keep it quiet. Move."

Lando handed the weapons to Leia and started to take Chewie's restraints off.

"What do you think you're doing?" Leia asked, astonished.

"We're getting out of here."

"I knew all along. It had to be a mistake," Threepio added.

"Do you think that after what you did to Han, were going to trust you?" Leia was so angry she felt like she could breathe fire.

As soon as Lando got Chewie's restraints off, Chewie grabbed his neck to choke him.

Struggling, Lando choked out, "I had no choice."

"What are you doing? Trust him! Trust him!" Threepio yelled.

"We understand, don't we, Chewie? He had no choice," Leia said sarcastically.

"I'm just trying to help..." Lando whispered as he was brought to his knees by the lack of oxygen.

Leia was glad Chewie was choking him– if he weren't, she would be. "We don't need any of _your_ help!"

Lando struggled to say something.

"What?" She asked, annoyed at him.

"Han!" he choked out.

"It sounds like Han," Threepio stated.

"There's still a chance to save Han..." Leia looked at Chewie. She wasn't sure what to do with this information. _Should we risk that maybe he is being sincere?_ Chewie wasn't convinced and kept choking him.

"At the east... platform."

She had to take the chance. Her gut was telling her that it was worth trying. "Chewie!" She rushed away. Chewie finally released Lando and followed her.

"I'm terribly sorry about all this. After all, he's only a Wookiee," Threepio told Lando.

Leia handed one of the guns to Chewie, and they blasted a few stormtroopers at the end of the corridor.

Lando came running after them.

"What do you want?" Leia shouted at him unkindly.

"I'm just trying to help!" Lando tells her desperately.

"Then help, but I won't trust you for as long as I live," she responded coldly.

"There's a shorter way over here– follow me!" They followed quickly behind him.

The door to a platform opened, and Leia rushed outside– she was ready to fight for Han's life, but she didn't get the chance. Boba Fett's ship was already taking off. She couldn't believe they were too late.

She felt desperate as she watched the small craft carry him away. They had been so close. There was a dull pain in her stomach that made her want to throw up. All she could think was, _How will we find him?_

Threepio yelled, "Oh no! Chewie, they're behind you!" They exchanged fire with more stormtroopers and darted inside. They could take cover in the hallways better than on a platform.

Leia yelled to them, "Come on, we have to get out of here. We need to get to the Falcon!"

Leia blasted a stormtrooper as they all piled into an elevator. Her shooting was getting better with spite– she was so mad at the Empire right now that she felt she could take on the Emperor herself. They came to a dead end. Lando fumbled with the controls and said, "The security code has been changed."

Threepio said, "R2, you can tell the computer to override the security systems. R2, hurry!"

Lando grabbed a microphone on the other side of the wall. "Attention. This is Lando Calrissian. Attention. The Empire has taken control of the city. I advise everyone to leave before more imperial troops arrive." The ensuing panic in the city was audible.

R2 started to spark, and his head spun wildly. Chewie pulled him from the computer as he started smoking.

"This way," Lando told them.

Leia put her hand on her hip and looked at Threepio. She gave him an eye roll as she turned to follow Lando.

"Well, don't blame me. I'm an interpreter. I'm not supposed to know a power socket from a computer terminal."

There was complete chaos as they ran down the halls. _Smart thinking_ , Leia admitted to herself, _we can blend right in with the panic._

R2 found an actual computer terminal, and Leia covered one side while Chewie took the other.

He beeped a few things at Threepio, and Threepio yelled at him, "We're not interested in the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon. It's fixed!"

More stormtroopers showed up from both sides. They were desperate for R2 to open the door.

"Just open the door, you stupid lump!

R2 managed it, and the door opened quickly with a whoosh.

"I never doubted you for a second. Wonderful!"

Leia kept blasting as they retreated to the platform, and Lando grabbed her. She elbowed him so he would let her go.

"Get off! I don't need you to protect me!" she told him sharply.

"I think you do– Han's not here and you're putting yourself in more danger than you need to. Chewie can cover as we run. Why do you keep trying to be the one to shoot?"

"What does it matter?" she asked over the noise of the laser blasts. "Every single one of these clones needs to die– even if I have to do it myself."

"Leia," Lando said softly as he placed a hand on her shoulder carefully. "We'll get him back." She looked at him kindly with desperate eyes. "You need to get out safe, though, for that to happen. Let's go." She paused for a moment to think then nodded and retreated to the ship.

The rushed out onto the platform. R2 smoked the place out– the stormtroopers couldn't see anything. He was such a clever little droid. Leia and Lando kept firing as Chewie ran in to the cockpit.

"Leia!" Lando yelled over the blaster noise, "Go!" She reluctantly turned and joined Chewie in the ship.

They took off hastily to avoid any major blasts from the stormtroopers. It wasn't the smoothest ride, but they were away.

Leia sat in Han's chair. She suddenly felt an incredibly strong yearning. It was as if someone were reaching out to her. She cleared her mind, and she recognized the Force of the person calling her– it was Luke.

 _Hear me_ , he said. _Leia_...

"Luke..." she whispered in response. "We've got to go back," she stated with certainty.

"What?" Lando answered. She looked at him and Chewie. She had never been so sure of anything.

"I know where Luke is."

"What about those fighters?"

"Chewie, just do it."

"But what about Vader?"

Chewie growled at Lando.

"Alright, alright!" Lando put his hands up in defeat. Leia knew Chewie would always be on her side.

She followed the feeling, and as they approached a structure, they searched for any sign of Luke. Lando spotted him first.

"Look, someone's up there," he pointed. Luke was hanging upside down on an antenna. He didn't look like he could hold on much longer.

"It's Luke. Chewie slow down," Leia ordered. "Slow down, and we'll get under him. Lando, open the top hatch."

They approached slowly.

"Okay. Easy, Chewie." They heard the top hatch open.

Some fighters came around, and they needed to get out of there– fast.

"Lando?" she asked over the comm. link.

"Okay, let's go," he answered.

The cockpit door opened, and Leia ran to embrace Luke. She grabbed onto him tightly. Minutes ago she didn't know if she'd ever see him again, and here he was.

"Leia," he gasped. They squeezed each other in a tight hug, and she led him to a cot. He was badly injured, but he'd be okay.

"Are you alright?" Luke asked her softly.

"I'm alright," she said. She thought about it for a minute, and then she placed a hand on her abdomen and told him, "We're alright." She gave him a little smile for reassurance. "We need to find Han…" she started to tear up– realizing that she may never see him again. "I don't want to do this without him." She looked down at her stomach and wiped away a few tears.

"We'll find him, Leia. I promise."

"What did Vader do to you?" she asked as she started to assess his state.

"We had a lightsaber battle. He cut my hand off…"

"Luke! That's terrible. She unwrapped him from the blanket Lando had draped over him, and he showed her his arm."

"I'm going to try to stop the bleeding. You'll be okay. Once we get to the rendezvous point, they'll take better care of you."

"Thank you Leia…" he whispered. She sensed that he was about to lose consciousness.

"Luke stay with me, okay?"

"Vader said…"

"Luke?" His eyes fluttered as he dipped in and out of lucidity.

"Vader is… my…" Leia couldn't understand what he was saying. She gave him some pain medication and told him to rest.

She tended to his wounds as the ship was rocked by laser blasts. She clamped off the blood loss from the stump that once was his hand. He was stable for the time being. She gave him a quick kiss to tell him it would be all right and headed back to the cockpit to see if she could be of any help there.

"I'll be back," she whispered.

"Are you two doing alright in here?" she asked Lando.

"We're fine– you don't need to worry about orders here, your Highness. We have it covered. Trust me."

Leia smirked at Lando. Apparently he didn't understand how things were run around here. Even Han, who didn't exactly like orders, would listen to hers.

"I think it'd be good for you to have a woman order you around," she teased.

Lando smiled and conceded, understanding that she was only trying to help. He chuckled and said, "You're probably right."

"Stardestroyer," she points out. They went the other direction, but three fighters were still on their tail.

"Alright, Chewie. Ready for light speed."

"If your people fixed the hyperdrive. All the coordinates are set. It's now or never."

"Punch it!"

Nothing. The ship sputtered and almost lost power.

Chewie and Leia looked at each other then turned to look at Lando at the same time, both amazed that they were still in the same position as before this whole ordeal.

Lando looked around– seemingly just as confused as them. Chewie started to throw a fit, and Leia sank into a chair. _One thing after another_... she thought.

"They told me they fixed it!" Lando whined. "I trusted them! It's not my fault!" Chewie jumped up and ran to mess with the ship's innards– again. Leia just covered her face with her hand in defeat.

As Chewie grabbed random parts and tried to tinker with everything at once, Leia and Lando continued to try to out-maneuver the fighters. "Chewie!" Lando shouted. A few sparks flew, but nothing started.

Leia turned to see Luke wandering in to the cockpit. He looked completely out of it– _he should be lying down_ , she thought.

"It's Vader," he whispered as he looked up at the stardestroyer. He sat down in the captain's chair and breathed heavily. "Ben," he whispered. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Leia tried to tell Luke to go lie down, but he was too out of it.

"Try the hyperdrive switch one more time," Lando told her. Suddenly, the ship jerked forward, and Leia grabbed the switch hastily. She pushed up, and they accelerated to light speed just as they were about to be sucked in by the tractor beam.

As soon as they got to the rebel command ship, Leia brought Luke to the medical ward. They gave him a mechanical hand. It wasn't the same as having the original, but it looked and functioned like he needed it to. Leia stayed by his side while he was getting treated. She was being supportive, but her mind was elsewhere as she looked off longingly into space.

Lando called Luke over the comm. link: "Luke, we're ready for take-off."

"Good luck, Lando."

"When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we'll contact you."

"I'll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine."

"Princess, we'll find Han. I promise." Leia didn't answer. She stared at the ground– there was so little hope to that promise.

"Chewie, I'll be waiting for your signal. Take care, you two. May the force be with you," Luke said confidently.

Chewie bellowed a reply. Leia and Luke shared a laugh.

Leia looked out into space– _this whole universe– Han is out there, and I'm not with him._

Luke jumped off the stretcher and joined her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders to reassure her silently while they watched the Falcon take off. _Please find him_ , she thought.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Three Weeks without Han**

Leia pushed her food around her plate.

"Leia," Luke warned, "you have to eat something…"

"I can't. I have no appetite," she said sourly.

"It doesn't matter," he told her. "It's unhealthy not to eat, and I know you've been skipping meals."

She frowned at him. "Just because you can read minds doesn't mean you are free to enter mine."

"I can read feelings, not minds, and I didn't read yours." Luke argued. He said softly, almost to himself, "For some reason I can't read yours anyway."

"Threepio told me you haven't eaten any of the meals he's brought you lately. Your baby needs you to eat," he whispered sharply.

"Every time I even think about eating, I throw up." They sat in silence, both knowing that nausea wasn't really the issue.

"It's been three weeks…" she said breathily. "Three weeks of waiting for Lando and Chewie to call… It gets more hopeless as the days go on."

"That's not true!" Luke tried to interject.

She crossed her arms. "Do you really think Jabba would _ever_ let him go? He put a death mark on his head months ago."

"Lando and Chewie will find him." Luke got up from his seat and tried to wrap his arm around her shoulder. She shook him off, quickly got up from her chair, and headed to her room.

"Leia! Leia…" Luke called after her.

She began to run down the hallway. She just wanted to be alone.

Leia slammed the door shut and leaned against it. Her eyes closed, and she slinked to the floor. She pulled her knees close to her chest.

She sat for a few minutes, feeling sorry for herself, and then she decided enough was enough. _We need to make a plan– Han or no Han_ , she thought.

She stood up quickly and became very dizzy. She steadied herself against the doorframe, but the room was spinning. She slowly sank back to the floor to be sure she wouldn't fall and called Luke on her wrist communicator. "Luke, I need you… now…" Her voice trailed off as she slowly passed out.

Leia awoke startled and tried to sit up rapidly. Luke grabbed her shoulders and made her lie back down.

"Leia, stay there. You passed out. Threepio is bringing some water and food."

Leia looked around and saw that she was in her bed _. Luke must have picked me up and put me here._ "Luke, I…" She didn't know what to say. Threepio entered with a cart and handed her some water.

"Your Highness… Some hydration should help."

"Thank you, Threepio." She chugged the water.

"Here," Luke said as he picked up a pitcher with the Force. "Have some more." He slowly poured the suspended water into her cup.

"Thank you," she said softly. She took another sip and watched Luke's trick with amazement. "You're getting better at that," she commented.

"I've been doing the exercises Yoda taught me every day. At first they were really hard and took a lot of concentration, but now they're much easier. It still takes a lot of concentration, but I feel like I can concentrate on more at once."

"You're going to make a great Jedi, Luke." Leia smiled at him and took a bite of a nutrition bar. She barely had swallowed when she clutched her stomach and leaned over the side of the bed to vomit.

"Oh my!" Threepio exclaimed.

"Leia, are you alright?!" Luke jumped up to rub her back while Threepio rushed to get cleaning supplies.

Once finished, she answered weakly, "I haven't been able to keep anything solid in me for weeks. Ever since we left Bespin– I don't know if it's the space travel or if there's something wrong. I didn't want to worry you. I feel… weak…" Leia's eyes shut as she sank into her pillow.

She woke up in a different bed– this one was hard and cold. She was in the medical ward.

"Good to see you awake," Luke smiled at her.

"Ah, your Highness. Welcome back," the robot nurse said to her. "I was just asking Luke here some questions about your recent habits. Have you been under any extra stress lately?"

"Do you mean almost getting captured by the Empire, commanding a rebellion, or the father of my unborn child being captured by a bounty hunter intent on delivering him to one of the most dangerous crime lords in the Galaxy?" she asked snidely.

The robot stared at her as it held her chart and a pen still– it was unable to compute exactly what to write down after that response.

She looked at the confused droid for a second then answered shortly, "Yes." The nurse nodded and checked a box on the chart.

"It seems that you are suffering from usual morning sickness and self-induced worry."

"She's worrying herself sick?" Luke questioned.

"For lack of a better term, that is correct. We will give you anti-nausea medication, and you need to eat. You must start gaining weight or you will put yourself and your child at great risk."

"I understand," she said sadly, absentmindedly placing a hand over the baby. "I will do my best."

Luke's communicator went off with a loud alert sound. "Excuse me," he told them.

The droid continued to talk to Leia, but all she heard was fuzz as she tried to listen to Luke's conversation in the hall.

He came back into the room with a wide grin, and she could tell what he was about to say. "They found him! Leia, Lando and Chewie found Han. Jabba's Palace is on Tatooine, and we're going to get him."

She shut her eyes in disbelief. Small, slow tears escaped down her cheeks as her heart welled up. "Luke, is he…" she couldn't bring herself to finish the question.

"We don't know for sure, but Lando said they have good reason to believe he's alive."

"Can I go?" she asked the robot nurse excitedly.

"You need to take this medicine and eat a meal. We need to be sure that it works and you can eat without vomiting. Then you may be discharged."

"You take care of yourself and that baby. I'm going to go meet Lando and Chewie and start making a plan. They should be back within the hour. We'll catch you up once you're out of here."

Luke ran down the hallway, and she sat on the hospital bed contentedly. _We'll find him_ , she thought.

After eating and keeping it down, Leia was free to go back to their quarters. She couldn't help but smile like an idiot as she walked down the hallway. Things were looking up. She felt better, and they were about to get Han back, well, depending on how good of a plan they were able to come up with without her.

As she walked through the door, Lando ran over to give her a big hug. "Leia!" he shouted. "Looking lovely, as always." Chewie gave her a hug too.

"Hi Lando, hi Chewie! I am so glad to see you."

"How are you feeling?" Lando asked. "Luke told us you haven't been doing so great."

She shot Luke a disapproving look. "I'm fine. I got some medicine and am ready to kick some Hutt butt."

"Slow down," Luke tried to tell her.

"If you think you can hold me back, Luke, you're sadly mistaken. I want to be right in the middle of this plan."

"You will be, Princess," Lando laughed. "We've come up with a good one."

"Let me hear it," she said to them.

"Here's what we know," Luke started, "Lando and Chewie came across a bounty hunter named Boushh. They knocked him out and took his weapons and clothes. Disguised as him, Lando told some other bounty hunters that he wanted to search for Han Solo. They told him he was too late and that Boba Fett already turned him over to Jabba, and as they put it, he'll be there for a long time."

"That sounds promising," Leia said.

Luke continued, "To fool Jabba though, we'd need someone to speak Ubese like Boushh. Lando doesn't know how."

"I can," she said simply.

"Really?" Lando and Luke asked simultaneously.

"I speak tons of languages. It was part of my diplomatic training as a princess. It's much more effective to speak in someone's native tongue if you want to make a deal with them. They'll trust you more than if you make them work to translate. I'll just practice with Threepio before we go to make sure that I remember it well enough."

"That could work," Luke agreed.

"When do I go?" Leia asked anxiously.

"Well, if you're going to dress up as the Ubese, then you're Plan B. You'll only have to go if Plan A doesn't work."

"And what's plan A?"

"Don't worry about it. I have everything ready to go," Luke stated confidently.

"I hate to ask, but we don't have the best of luck as a group. What if A and B don't work?"

"Then we have Plan C and Plan Z."

"Plan Z?" she questioned.

"It's pretty crazy and will only happen if Jabba is totally unreasonable and everyone is his prisoner after Plans A, B, and C."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to _crazy_ ," she joked, "but it probably will…"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: "Rescuing" Han**

"The droids haven't come back," Luke said as he paced back and forth on the Falcon.

Leia tried to massage his shoulders to make him relax a little. It didn't work, and his attention was still on Jabba's Palace.

"Are you ready to go for Plan B?" he asked her.

"Yes, I've got this. Chewie are you ready?" Chewie nodded and grabbed the shackles off the table.

"And if for some reason that doesn't work, I'm up next."

Luke helped Chewie get the restraints on as Leia put Boushh's clothes on.

"You look the part," he said to her, "but can you act like him?"

She pointed her gun at him and spoke in a low, growly voice that was distorted by the helmet. "Yatay yatoh."

"Pretty convincing," Luke admitted.

She and Chewie headed for the door, but she paused and turned to Luke, "Hey Luke, thanks," she said slowly.

Luke smiled at her and responded, "Go get him."

It only took Leia and Chewie about an hour to walk to Jabba's Palace. They had to dock the Falcon far away so no would see it and suspect something.

"Are you ready Chewie?" she asked as they approached the door.

Chewie bellowed a reply.

"Remember to make it believable," she reminded him. She knocked on the door and a mechanical eyeball shot out.

She held a strong stance and uttered in Ubese, "I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee."

The door opened slowly, and they entered a dark, sandy corridor. A guard approached them and told her, "I will take this beast off your hands," but she would not let go of the chain.

"Yatay yatay chk," she told him. _Over my dead body, I'm going to see Jabba_ , she thought.

A few guards tried to intervene and take Chewie from her before she got an audience with Jabba. She fought them off, and Chewie helped.

Leia entered the main audience room and approached Jabba. He was massive. His body was immobilized by its weight. She maintained her stance and said to him, "I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee."

Threepio feigned innocence, "No. Chewbacca!"

Chewie groaned to fake discomfort.

Jabba looked the Wookiee up and down and announced in Huttese, "At last we have the mighty Chewbacca. Come here, droid."

Threepio answered, "Yes, I am here, Your Worshipfulness. Yes?"

Jabba spoke to him in Huttese. Threepio translated for the fake bounty hunter, "The illustrious Jabba bids you welcome and will gladly pay you the reward of 25,000." Leia didn't need help understanding his Huttese, but apparently the bounty hunter would. She knew enough to figure out what he was saying.

She answered in Ubese, "I want 50,000. No less."

Threepio told Jabba, "50,000. No less."

Jabba laughed heartily and whacked Threepio into a gooey concoction behind him.

Threepio struggled to get up and asked, "What did I say?"

Jabba repeated his question. Threepio translated again, "The mighty Jabba asks why he must pay 50,000."

Leia spoke in Ubese and pulled out a small metal ball from her pocket.

"Because he's holding a thermal detonator!" Threepio shouted. The entire room panicked. Most of the so-called "tough guys" in the crowd hid or ran away. The only ones seemingly unfazed were Boba Fett, who pulled out a blaster, and Jabba, who grinned at his threatening guest.

"This bounty hunter is my kind of scum, fearless and inventive," Jabba chuckled.

Threepio relayed another offer, "Jabba offers the sum of 35, and I do suggest you take it."

She turned off the ticking thermal detonator and said in Ubese "I accept."

"He agrees!" Threepio cheered. The entire room let out a sigh, and the music began again. Bib Fortuna whispered to her that she could collect the reward later that night.

Chewie was dragged off by Jabba's guards, and she looked around the party for Han while Lando snuck after Chewie to check out the dungeon situation. Boba Fett gave her an approving nod, and after she acknowledged him, she saw Han.

He was hanging on the wall. He was a decoration– clearly a prized possession of Jabba's. Still frozen in carbonite, and with the same startled expression, he looked inhuman. Her gut wrenched. _What kind of monster could do this to someone?_ she thought. Phase two of her plan was next. _Stay focused on the mission,_ she told herself. She blended in for the rest of the evening. She sipped drinks and stood off in the corner watching the music and dancing.

Jabba was a sick creature. His slave dancers were in poor condition, and she found it painful to think about their families and loved ones they were ripped from.

After nightfall, everyone in Jabba's Palace had drunk themselves into a sleepy stupor and eventually passed out where they stood. Musicians cuddled their instruments, and enemies spooned with each other as they dozed.

Leia, still disguised, made her way down the steps cautiously. She accidentally knocked some wind chimes with her helmet, but no one stirred. With soft steps, she walked across the room to where Han's frozen figure hung.

She pushed a button, and the carbonite encasing lowered to the ground. She pushed another button, and flashing lights signaled that he was being thawed out. Han's body limply fell onto the floor. He was wet, cold and out of it.

She helped him turn over to a sitting position and said through the distorted mask, "Just relax for a moment. You are free of the carbonite." His body shook as he became acclimated to air once again. "You have hibernation sickness," she told him.

"I can't see..."

"Your eyesight will return in time."

"Where am I?"

"Jabba's Palace."

He reached up and felt her mask. "Who are you?"

She paused and slowly removed the mask. "Someone who loves you," she said with feeling. It was hokey, and she knew it, but she couldn't help it. She had waited so long for this reunion.

"Leia," he gasped. She kissed him passionately. He groped to feel her body, but she pulled away quickly. It was almost painful to pull away from him in the moment, but they needed to escape.

"I got to get you out of here," she told him, helping him up. They suddenly heard a low laugh coming from an indiscernible place around them.

"What's that?" Han asked. Leia looked up in shock, trying to place where it was coming from.

"I know that laugh."

Jabba swung open a curtain, and his little crew cackled as Leia and Han realized they'd been tricked. Leia sighed and hoped this wouldn't be their end.

"Hey Jabba..." Han tried to say cheerfully, reaching out an arm in the wrong direction. Leia spun him around so he was facing the slug. "Look, Jabba... I was just on my way to pay you back, and I got a little sidetracked. It's not my fault."

In Huttese, Jabba told him, "It's too late for that, Solo. You may have been a good smuggler, but now you're Bantha fodder." Everyone in the room laughed. All of the criminals were awake with the commotion.

"Look," Han tried to bargain.

"Take him away," Jabba told his guards.

"Jabba, I'll pay you triple. You're throwing away a fortune! Don't be a fool!"

Leia couldn't stand to see Han dragged away. She had just gotten to him, and now he was being taken from her again.

Other guards surrounded her.

"Bring her to me," Jabba ordered.

She was pushed toward his giant body. "We have powerful friends. You're going to regret this," she bluffed.

"I'm sure." He licked his slimy, mucous-covered lips. Her stomach turned.

"I can't bear to watch," Threepio cried. Crumb cackled again. Jabba rubbed a fat hand up her body, and she tried to pull away, but she couldn't. The guards were pressing her up against him.

"Have her cleaned up, and make her change," Jabba ordered. The guards dragged her to a bathroom while she fought to escape their grasp. Her small frame was no use against them. They shut her in the small, dingy bathroom and threw a gaudy bikini outfit in after her.

"Clean up and put this on," one of the guards ordered.

"You can't make me!" she shouted defiantly.

"Wanna bet?" the door swung open as a large humanoid entered the small room. He barely fit through the doorframe. Her eyes flashed with fear as she remembered her encounter with the stormtroopers.

"I'll put it on," she conceded softly.

"That's what I thought," he chuckled. The guards shut the door again.

She slowly stripped off the Ubese outfit and replaced it with the metallic bikini. She was so uncomfortable– the fabric barely covered anything. The idea of being seen in this was terrible. She was used to being poised and respected. This was the opposite.

Leia looked into the mirror. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she was starting to see a little evidence of a bump. It was small, especially since she had lost so much weight in the last month, but it was there. She thought about it and calculated that she should be about four months pregnant.

Her attitude shifted suddenly. _I'm going to take care of you_ , she promised her baby. _We're going to be okay, and so will your daddy. Luke will come save us. Please, Luke, come soon._ She was looking up at the ceiling when the guards flung the door open again.

"Time's up!" they announced. She glared at them with distain.

She didn't say a word as they brought her back to Jabba. He had Bib Fortuna fit her with a collar and chain. She felt like a dog, but she imagined that was what Jabba wanted.

 _How will we get out of this one?_ she wondered as Jabba pulled her close.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: A Night with Jabba**

Leia pulled at the cloth to cover her butt cheeks more than they were. She refused to look at Jabba. The pig-nosed guard handed the chain over to Jabba. He roughly yanked on it, causing Leia to wince and take a few reluctant steps toward him.

"Now," he spoke to her in Huttese, "You will obey me… Princess Leia."

She looked up at him for the first time.

"How do you know who I am?" she demanded.

"I have my sources," he chuckled. "Your title does not serve you here. You are my prize, and you will do as I say."

 _This nightmare could end now_ … she thought, hoping that she would wake up.

"Now… slave," Jabba smiled as he uttered the word, testing her reaction, "dance for me."

"I won't," she pushed.

"Then you may meet my hungry friend, the rancor. Dance."

Jabba loosened his grip on her chains, and she reluctantly joined the dancers on the floor.

She told herself, _I just need to do enough to survive this until Luke comes._

She mimicked the dancers as best she could, and Jabba seemed to approve. As the music continued, she became more daring and tried new moves. Among the other dancers, Leia was able to forget her reality for a moment.

She was harshly snapped back into her real situation when Jabba suddenly jerked the chain backwards. She grabbed her neck and tried to resist the tug of the collar.

"Now," Jabba said to her forcefully, "You will be mine." She didn't like what he was insinuating.

"Please," she whispered inaudibly as Jabba's hands ran up and down her body.

"Join me here," Jabba motioned to a spot on his throne where his belly fat covered everything. She didn't move right away, so he jerked the chain again, and Bib Fortuna lowered her onto the spot.

Jabba petted her head like she were a small animal while his tail groped her legs. She repeatedly tried to avoid the appendage, but he was persistent, and she had little room to move.

Salaceous Crumb enjoyed messing with her discomfort. He constantly tugged at the fabric hanging from her bikini bottoms, tried to untie her top, or pulled on her hair anytime she started to relax. The night dragged on, and she grew tired and hungry.

Jabba continued to hold audiences with bounty hunters and shady business partners. She was embarrassed to be on display like an inanimate object.

A dug joined the party and asked Jabba how much he wanted for Leia.

"Not for sale," Jabba answered shortly.

"Why not?" he asked greedily. "It looks to me like she's not even broken in yet, Jabba. Are you losing your charm?" Teasing Jabba was no way to make a deal.

Jabba quickly hit the button on his throne, and the dug fell through the trap door, into the rancor's pit.

"Not broken in?" Jabba yelled down to the panicky dug. "The last thing you see will be proof!"

Leia's eyes opened wide, fearful of what was next. Jabba pulled her close to his sluggish body. There was zero slack left on the chain, and he was still pulling upwards. Leia choked and grasped at the collar, painfully aware that everyone in the room was watching and laughing.

"You will learn to appreciate me," Jabba whispered. His tail snaked its way up her leg and groped her inner thighs.

"Please," she begged. Jabba brushed a rough, scaly hand down her back and grabbed her butt cheek. His tongue ran over her torso and covered her breasts in slime.

"I will obey anything you say, please stop," Leia desperately admitted to him, tears in her eyes. "Please stop here."

Jabba suddenly stopped moving. He let out a deep belly laugh and loosened his grip on the chain.

"Do you see?" he yelled down to the dug. "She is mine, and she will obey." The dug nodded and was trying to climb out of the empty pit when Jabba ordered, "Release the rancor!"

A large gate lifted, and the most terrible creature Leia had ever seen emerged. It was the height of a building, and its knobby body oozed goo. Everyone watched and cheered as it ate the small dug in one gulp. Leia's stomach was in knots.

 _Play it safe_ … she told herself. _Luke will be here soon enough. Play the game and stay on Jabba's good side for just a little while._

As Jabba continued to drink, he began to play with his new toy more. He unhitched her top and fondled her breasts, he made her lie against him in different positions, and he made her dance several times.

Leia didn't mind the dancing as much because he wasn't touching her, but she hated that the others in the room looked at her with desire as she moved.

She noticed a pattern. Once they started to get out of hand with their comments about her, that was when Jabba would pull on the chain and demand that she sit on top of him again.

The night continued, and sometime in the early morning, the guests started to tire out and fall asleep wherever they were. Once everyone else was asleep, Jabba motioned to a pillow.

"You may sleep here, next to me, my slave princess."

Leia didn't trust him. When she didn't move, he frowned and gave her some slack on the chain.

"No tricks," he told her, "Sleep now."

She slowly joined him, and although she wanted to stay vigilant, the almost-twenty-four-hour-day had thoroughly exhausted her. She fell into an uncomfortable sleep, and she dreamt that Luke was on his way to save them all.

The collar's pull rudely woke her up. She sat up quickly and checked her surroundings. They were the same as she remembered. She sighed. _Still not a bad dream_ , she thought.

"Wake up, slave," Bib Fortuna told her. "Jabba has a task for you." He smiled eerily. She thought, _Why do I get the sense this is something gross and sexual?_

"My slave princess," Jabba commanded, "I want you…" he was interrupted when she covered her mouth and desperately tried to find somewhere fitting to vomit. She was barely able to lean over the platform because of the chain.

"What is this?" Jabba asked Threepio, annoyed.

"I don't know, your Worshipfulness," he fibbed. "Perhaps she is ill."

"Well?" Jabba turned to her. "Are you ill?"

"I don't know," she lied. It was no different from the morning, noon, and night sickness she'd experienced for the past four months, but Jabba didn't need to know that.

"I don't feel well…" she wasn't lying this time. She felt severely dehydrated.

"Bib Fortuna," Jabba ordered, "bring her water. My slave princess must be well enough for this afternoon's festivities."

 _Good work, little one_ , she whispered to her baby.

"You rest," Jabba commanded her. She could've jumped for joy with relief. He added, "You will make up for it later." Her heart sank. _Please hurry, Luke._

Surprisingly, she felt an answer from him. _I'm almost there._

 _We're going to be okay_ , she thought as she fell back to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Warning: Chapter 14 has some rape in it.

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Plan Z**

Leia woke up after a short rest. Jabba had fallen asleep, and she was grateful.

Leia was on top of Jabba, and his tail lazily felt her leg while he slept. She tried to keep her distance from it. It was revolting how he felt her body.

She heard a commotion outside, and Luke entered behind Bib Fortuna.

Leia sat up more than she had been, but her head was hung in shame. Although it wasn't her choice to dress and look like she did, she didn't want Luke to see her this way.

Luke approached the platform with a slow, steady gait and looked at Leia with pity.

Threepio said, "At last! Master Luke has come to rescue me."

Bib Fortuna whispered in Jabba's ear, and Jabba woke with a snort.

"I told you not to admit him," Jabba scolded Bib Fortuna. As he got angrier, his grasp on Leia's chain tightened.

"I must be allowed to speak," Luke said calmly.

"He must be allowed to speak," Bib Fortuna repeated to Jabba.

"You weak-minded fool," Jabba said. "He's using an old Jedi mind trick." Jabba pushed Bib Fortuna off his throne.

Luke lowered his hood and demanded, "You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookiee to me."

Jabba laughed in response. "Your mind powers will not work on me, boy." He continued to pull on Leia's chain, and the collar dug into her neck. She arched her back to try to relieve some pressure, but he just pulled harder.

Luke took a step forward. "Nevertheless," he continued calmly, "I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends." All of the scumbags in the room were surrounding him in anticipation of where this was going. "You could either profit by this or be destroyed. It's your choice, but I warn you not to underestimate my powers."

Threepio tried to warn Luke about the trap door. "Master Luke, you're standing on..."

Jabba interrupted him, "There will be no bargain, young Jedi." Jabba suddenly pulled hard on Leia's chain, causing her to jerk backwards. She tried to tell Luke with her eyes that things weren't looking good. _If you have another plan, this would be the time,_ she wanted to say.

"I shall enjoy watching you die," Jabba told him.

Luke used the Force to take a blaster from someone's belt. Before he could do anything with it, though, Jabba's guards were all over him. Jabba pushed the button, and he fell into the pit. A guard tumbled in after him. Leia tried to see if Luke was alright, but Jabba was holding her tightly.

Someone suddenly grabbed her arm, and she looked up to see a horrid mask. He was reassuring her... _Wait, that's Lando! Maybe things will be okay. Come on, Luke,_ she thought.

The guard in the pit was panicking. She could see that Luke was trying to assess the situation and find a way out. The rancor's door slowly opened.

"Oh no!" Threepio shouted. "The rancor!"

Leia tugged at her collar trying to get a better view.

The rancor swallowed the guard in one gulp, and the entire room cheered. Jabba laughed as the beast turned to Luke.

Leia inwardly cheered when Luke was able to prop the rancor's mouth open with a large bone and when he jammed its claws with a rock, escaping its grasp.

Unfortunately for her, every small victory for Luke resulted in more tugging on the collar. She tried to see if Luke was evading the monster, but the lack of oxygen was starting to get to her.

She struggled against Jabba's pull as Luke ran into a small space. She couldn't see him anymore, but the rancor followed him, and its gate suddenly came crashing down on its head. The rancor breathed out slowly, and its body went limp.

 _Luke killed it! He's alive_ , she cheered to herself. Jabba pulled the chain harder in anger, and the whole room went blurry. The last thing she heard was, "Bring me Solo and the Wookiee," as she passed out on Jabba's lap.

Salacious Crumb woke her up with a jab. He was poking her and pulling on her hair.

She guessed from the activity in the room that she wasn't out for long.

The guards dragged Luke, Han, and Chewie into the room. Things didn't look good.

"How are we doing?" Han asked Luke. He still couldn't see.

"Same as always," Luke told him.

"That bad, huh?" She shook her head. Even in a life-or-death situation, he had to be a wise guy.

Jabba rubbed a hand down her back possessively.

"Where's Leia?" Han asked.

"I'm here," she answered longingly.

Jabba spoke to Threepio, who only responded with, "Oh, dear."

He announced to them, "His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately."

"Good. I hate long waits," Han commented sarcastically.

"You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the Pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc."

"Doesn't sound so bad," Han added.

"In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering, as you are slowly digested over 1,000 years."

"On second thought, let's pass on that."

"You should have bargained," Luke told Jabba confidently.

Jabba told the guards to take them.

Luke added, "That's the last mistake you'll ever make." Jabba laughed at him and pulled Leia closer as the guards took them away.

She watched desperately as all of her friends were taken again. _They're all I have– they can't die._

Bib Fortuna led Leia to the sail barge. She followed obediently, but she also was checking the ship for any hope of escape. He handed the chain to Jabba, who was now in position on a platform.

"We are in for a show," Jabba said as he licked his slimy lips. Leia gagged as he pulled her closer. "You will learn not only to obey, but to enjoy what I offer you," Jabba whispered in Huttese. She didn't answer and just stared out the window. He let her chain loosen and motioned for her to go to the edge of the barge.

Jabba allowed her to look out the window, but he also tugged on the chain every once in a while to remind her that he was allowing it.

He pulled again, hard enough to send her running to him. "Ow!" She exclaimed as she jumped onto his belly again. Bib Fortuna pressed a hand on her back while she tried to pull away from Jabba's slimy face.

"Soon you will learn to appreciate me," he told her. She wanted to vomit from his tone.

"Never," she said quietly.

"What was that, slave?" He asked angrily.

"You are scum, and I will never willingly do anything you say," she couldn't help it. She couldn't take his words and actions anymore.

"You will..." Bib Fortuna knocked out her knees, and she fell onto Jabba. He thrust his tail in between her legs, under the skimpy bikini bottoms.

"No..." she tried to say.

"You will obey, and you will learn to like it."

Jabba thrust into her. Her will broke as she felt him inside her. His tail wiggled and pulled out. She cried as he pounded into her repeatedly.

"Please... stop..." she cried silently. Jabba just laughed at her. He stopped when he was satisfied that she understood what he could do to her. She pulled her knees to her chest as she sat on the edge of the platform. She didn't have any fight left in her.

After a few minutes, Jabba told her, "Now, we are here, my slave princess. Pretty soon you will have no one left. Let's watch." He repositioned them at a window.

Threepio announced loudly, "Victims of the almighty Sarlacc, His Excellency hopes that you will die honorably. But should any of you wish to beg for mercy, the great Jabba the Hutt will now listen to your pleas."

Han yelled back, "Threepio, you tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth that he'll get no such pleasure from us!" He turned to Chewie and asked, "Right?"

Luke yelled, "Jabba, this is your last chance. Free us, or die."

Everyone on the barge giggled and chattered at Luke's seemingly empty threat.

"Move him into position," Jabba ordered. "Put him in."

Leia couldn't believe what she saw. Luke escaped, and R2 threw him his light saber. He started to take out all of the goons on the ship, and Lando was helping.

During all of the commotion, Leia smashed the control panel for the sail barge. The windows shut, and everyone inside panicked. In the darkness, and while everyone was distracted, she jumped over Jabba and grabbed the chain. She got it over Jabba's neck and pulled with all of her might. Jabba struggled to pull it off of his fat neck, but he couldn't do it.

She groaned as she pulled harder, feeling Jabba starting to lose consciousness. His tail rattled, his tongue stuck out of his mouth, and he went limp. She pulled one more time to be sure he was dead, and his flesh quickly turned black.

Jabba was dead. Leia killed him. She was no longer Jabba's prisoner. She couldn't wrap her head around these facts, but she knew that she needed to escape and help her friends.

She jumped down and went to find R2. In the darkness of the barge, she located the small robot and held the chain to him. He quickly zapped it, breaking the connection to Jabba's shriveled frame.

"Come on, we gotta get out of here," she told R2.

She headed to the top of the barge. She found Luke and looked to him for direction.

"Get the gun!" he yelled to her. She ran to grab the large gun mounted to the railing. "Point it at the deck!" He slashed a few more goons with his light saber.

Leia spun the gun around to point it at the floor. Someone tried to grab her from behind, but she kicked him right in the chest, sending him over the edge of the barge.

"Come on!" Luke motioned to her, grabbing a rope. She threw her arm around him, and he held her waist as he pressed the trigger for the gun. They swung from Jabba's barge to the small ship the others were on.

"Let's go," Luke told them. "And don't forget the droids."

"Were on our way," Lando announced.

Jabba's barge blew up quickly in consecutive fiery blasts.

As Leia watched the orange blast, she began to cry out of relief. She couldn't help it.

The others looked at her sadly. "It's over. It's over," she repeated. "Hold me," she reached out her arms and held on to Luke. Han had opened his arms to comfort her as well. Although he couldn't see well, he could tell that she had gone to Luke.

Han nudged Chewie to show his disapproval and went to sit on the opposite side of the ship.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Back on the Falcon**

They got back to the Falcon, and Luke carried Leia into the ship. He placed her down in the main area, and she sat on a chair. Luke told Han, "She wants you. Something terrible happened there. I don't know what Jabba did to her, but she's asking for you."

"I have a pretty good idea of what he is capable of. I'll be right there." Han got the ship ready to go and then went to Leia.

"Hold me," she exclaimed, grabbing on to him tightly. "You're real. You're really here with me. I can't believe it."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said confidently, taking her into his arms, bridal-style.

He carried her to his bed, and he placed her down gently. Her long hair spread across the pillows like a waterfall, and he gazed at her beauty for a moment, taking it all in.

He looked into her eyes and saw great sadness. Something suddenly occurred to him.

"Leia," he asked, "how long was I in that carbonite?"

She sighed and sat up against the headboard. Closing her eyes, as if in deep thought, she answered, "Almost four weeks."

"Four weeks?!" he exclaimed. "You mean you... you guys just waited... you didn't know..." she began to sniffle and tear up.

"Leia..." he whispered, understanding that she had worried for all that time over him– how illogical it seemed to him. No one had ever given a damn about him in his life, except maybe Chewie, and now he was the cause of pain for someone– someone he loved.

He joined her on the bed and wrapped his long body around hers. They fit together like a puzzle piece.

In his embrace, she cried. She cried and let out all of the worry and sorrow she had felt in the last month. She wanted to stop, but the tears kept coming. Han didn't say anything. He didn't try to make it stop. He simply held her tightly and drew little circles on her back with his fingers as she cried.

After a few minutes, she was able to compose herself. She sat up a little, breaking their snuggly position.

"There's something I want to show you," she whispered to him.

"Oh?" he asked.

She lifted her shirt and showed him her growing baby bump.

"Do you see it?" she asked. "I know there's not much yet, but I think it's starting to show."

"I see it, and I see a beautiful woman who is going to be a wonderful mother," he answered– skillfully avoiding the _am I fat_ question.

He touched her chin and pulled her head close to his for a kiss. She resisted, and he was hurt by it.

"I'm sorry…" she said softly. "Han, you don't know what happened at Jabba's Palace."

"No," he replied, "I'm sorry. I have a pretty good idea."

"I don't want to talk about it," she told him sadly. She tried to kiss him, but he could tell that she didn't want to.

"Leia, did he hurt you?" It wasn't a question he really needed to ask. Han knew what Jabba did to his slave girls. He reached up to her neck and blindly felt the irritated cuts where the collar had dug into her skin.

"I am so sorry that you had to go through that," he said sincerely, taking her into a big bear hug, "He's gone now," he tried to reassure her.

After a moment, she said calmly, "I killed him, Han. I killed Jabba, and it scared me."

"He was a scary dude," Han tried to add.

"No, you don't understand. What scared me was that I felt no remorse in killing him. I felt relief. It felt good."

Han thought for a moment. "He did a lot of harm to a lot of people. You did good, Leia. Don't be scared. Don't think too much."

"Can we put this all behind us?" she asked.

"Gladly."

They spent two weeks aboard the Falcon together. They weren't in a hurry to split up after weeks apart.

In those weeks, Leia's body started to change a lot. She was now noticeably pregnant. Leia never considered herself a vain person, but the sudden change in appearance made her uncomfortable. She knew that she was supposed to get bigger, and that it came with the territory of growing a baby, but she didn't feel like herself.

Her clothes fit differently, and she couldn't help but stare at the mirror as she got dressed.

She was staring and tracing her figure with her eyes when Han came up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and kissed her neck.

"You look beautiful this morning," he whispered in her ear.

"I feel like a whale," she told him, not taking her eyes off of the reflection.

"You can barely see any difference," he reassured her.

"You must be looking at a different mirror than I am."

"Come on, he said, slapping her butt playfully, "breakfast is ready."

"I'm not hungry," she said dryly.

"At least come sit with us." He kissed her cheek, and she followed him out to the table.

"Good morning," Luke said cheerfully.

"Mmm, this looks good," Han commented.

"Here's a plate," Luke said as he handed on to Han then Leia, who refused.

"I'm not hungry."

"Leia…" Luke said with a warning in his voice.

"What?" she countered.

"Are we going to go through this again?"

"Go through what?" Han asked as he shoved more food into his mouth.

"You didn't tell him?" Luke asked.

"He didn't need to know." She shifted uneasily.

Luke told Han, "Leia was so stressed when you were gone that she didn't eat. She ended up passing out and almost…"

"Luke!" she interrupted. "I'm fine. I was fine. I'm a big girl and can take care of myself!" She stormed out of the room.

Han gave her a few minutes to sulk, and then he followed her. She was sitting on his bed scowling.

"Leia…"

"I'm fine," she insisted aggressively.

"I know," he answered cautiously.

"Don't start telling me what to do," she warned.

"I won't." He slowly lowered himself to her level.

"I can take care of myself. I don't need you or Luke to tell me what to do."

"We're not. I'm worried about you, though."

"Well, don't be," she said as she stood up.

"Leia!" Luke called from the cockpit. "Communication from The Alliance!"

She gave Han a long look and headed to the cockpit.

"Princess, The Alliance is assembling. We've received important information from Bothan spies. Your presence is requested immediately."

"Thank you, General Madine. We will be there shortly."

They switched off the communicator.

"I'm not coming with you," Luke told them. "I need to return to Yoda to finish my training."

Leia nodded and said, "Han, Chewie, get the ship ready for light speed."

Luke headed to his fighter. Over the comm. link, he told them, "I'll meet you back at the fleet."

"Hurry," Leia said. "The Alliance should be assembled by now."

"I will."

"Hey Luke," Han added, "thanks. Thanks for coming after me. Now I owe you one."

As they made the jump to light speed, Leia sat on Han's lap playfully. "I'm sorry I'm in a funk," she said as she played with his hair.

"It's okay," he told her.

"There's so much happening in the Galaxy right now, and now I need to worry about a baby too. This is the last thing I needed."

"You don't need to worry on your own, you know," he said sweetly.

"You're sure?" she asked sincerely.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said as he kissed her sweetly.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Planning for the Attack**

They arrived at the fleet and docked. Leia had changed into something looser so she could maybe get away without anyone knowing she was pregnant.

As they debarked from the Falcon, Han told her, "Hey, maybe you should take it easy here. Don't go volunteering for stuff."

"You are so infuriating!" She shouted suddenly. She stormed off the ship.

Han chased after her, his long stride helping him catch up quickly. "You can't put yourself in danger, Leia!"

"Don't give me that…" she warned him.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do, I'm trying to be reasonable."

"You– Han Solo, the voice of reason?" she argued.

"I'm just saying, let someone else take the dangerous mission for once. You don't need to put yourself in danger!"

"Yes, I do!" she yelled back.

"Why?!" Everyone in the hangar was looking at them and their loud outburst now.

She pulled him close and said softly, "There are two things to be done. I can either sit around like a fragile incubator and hope the Empire doesn't suddenly destroy whatever planet I'm hiding on, like Alderaan, or I can do something about it." She pulled him into a small room.

"Leia," he hugged her. "I forget about Alderaan sometimes. I forget that you had a life there, and that you lost it all. You're so strong about it. He held her face in his hands and wiped a few of her stray tears with his thumbs.

"I'm not strong about it now," she sniffled.

"Yes," he kissed her gently, "you are."

"I don't like to talk about it because it really is that painful. All those people thought they were safe. A majority of them weren't involved in the Rebellion at all. They just lived their lives. And now we're bringing a child into this danger… This is what's been on my mind. As long as the Empire is still out there, it doesn't matter where I am. We're never safe… and I would be doing a disservice to the memory of my people if I didn't do everything in my power to stop it."

Han kissed her on the forehead and wrapped her in a bear hug. "You are the strongest person I know. I won't tell you what to do, but will you at least promise not to be the _first_ to jump into the line of fire? I love you so much, and I can't imagine life without you, or life without the promise this baby brings us." He placed a hand on her bump, and she reveled in its warmth.

"You too," she said. "I need you just as much. I love you."

"I know," he answered. She playfully smacked him. He knew it annoyed her when he didn't say he loved her back, and that's why he did it.

"Come on. We have a few hours to relax. Let's get settled, wash up, and get something to eat. Then we'll head to the debriefing," she said.

They greeted some friends and sat down next to each other. The presentation started.

"The Emperor's made a critical error, and the time for our attack has come. The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoint the exact location of the Emperor's new battle station. We also know that the weapons system on this Death Star are not yet operational. With the Imperial Fleet spread throughout the Galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected. But most important of all, we've learned that the Emperor himself is personally overseeing the final stages of this Death Star. Many Bothans died to bring us this information. Admiral Ackbar, please."

"You can see here the Death Star orbiting the forest moon if Endor. Although the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, the Death Star does have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield which is generated by the nearby forest moon of Endor. The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted. Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter while the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor. General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack."

"Good luck," Han told him with a smirk. "You're gonna need it."

Leia tried not to smile and couldn't but chuckle a little.

Admiral Ackbar passed the torch, "General Madine."

"We have stolen a small imperial shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship and using a secret imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator."

The room buzzed at this information.

Leia leaned over to Han and said, "I wonder who they found to pull that off." He didn't answer and looked nervous.

"General Solo, is your strike team assembled?"

Leia turned to look at him in astonishment.

"Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle." Chewie bellowed at him.

"It's gonna be rough, pal. I didn't want to speak for you," Han told him. Chewie nodded in agreement.

"That's one," Han said happily.

"General," Leia teased him with his new title. "Count me in."

"I'm with you too," Luke entered the room. Leia got up and gave him a big hug.

His feelings were off– she could tell something was different.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Ask me again sometime," he told her, completely avoiding the question. She looked at him confused.

"Luke!" Han grabbed Luke's shoulder.

"Hi Han, Chewie."

Leia placed a hand on Han's chest and told them all, "The dream team... back at it again."

"Let's go kick some imperial keister!" Luke cheered.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Trip to the moon**

They all had double-checked every aspect of the trip. It was well-planned, and although they were nervous, they knew they were prepared.

Leia changed into her field gear on the imperial ship. She exited the 'fresher and walked right into Luke.

"Oh! Sorry!" she blurted out.

"Are you alright?" he asked with too much concern in his voice.

"Now don't you start..." she tried to warn him.

"Start what?" he asked innocently.

"Luke, don't treat me any differently on this mission. I don't want to be though of as this delicate little thing."

"First off," he replied with sass, "I was just asking if you were okay because we bumped into each other. Second, you might not be a _fragile little thing,_ but that baby is."

"Luke, come on. You know what I mean."

"I do, and I'll do my best."

"And please don't tell anyone on the mission. I don't want them to know either."

"You know, you can't keep it a secret forever," he told her.

"I know, but you can't tell in these clothes, can you?"

"No, you're fine." He stared at her for a minute, and she knew something was off.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," he answered quickly.

"Are you sure?" she asked as she rubbed his arm.

Han walked in and seemed confused by their interaction.

"Let's get this show on the road," he said oddly.

"I'll be there in a minute," she told him. She went to check her outfit in the mirror one more time to be sure that no one could see her growing bump.

Leia entered the cockpit and saw Han staring at the Falcon.

"Hey, you awake?" She shook him a little bit as she grabbed his shoulder with care.

"Yeah. I just got a funny feeling, like I'm not gonna see her again."

"Come on, General, let's move." She thought calling him General would cheer him up, and it worked– she saw a little smile.

"Right. Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready everybody?" They all strapped themselves in.

"All set," Luke answered.

R2 beeped and Threepio stated, "Here we go again."

"All right, hang on."

They were away. They turned p the controls,

And they went to light speed. It would only be a little while until they came to the new Death Star site.

Leia thought she'd have some fun and pick on Han. "Well at least this ship's light speed works," she said while she jabbed at his side.

"Woah, low blow!" he joked back. "That ship has saved me... and you I might add... more times than I can count."

"I know," she hugged him from behind and squeezed his middle. "I just like to tease you. Plus we've made so many memories on it..."

"Please, you two," Luke added to the joking, "get a room!"

"What's the matter, Luke?" Han countered. "Jealous?"

"No..." Luke was saved by some beeping.

"We're coming out of hyperspace!" Han announced.

The Death Star was huge– larger than the first one. Even in its unfinished state, it was menacing. They approached the Imperial command ship cautiously.

Han said, "If they don't go for this, we're gonna have to get out of here pretty quick, Chewie." They were all on edge waiting for communication.

The crackly information finally came through the speaker. "We have you on our screen now. Please identify."

Han took a deep breath and answered, "Shuttle Tydirium requesting deactivation of the deflector shield." They all held their breath.

"Shuttle Tydirium, transmit the clearance code for shield passage."

"Transmission commencing."

"Now we find out if that code is worth the price we paid," Leia muttered.

"It'll work," he told her. More confidently, he repeated, "It'll work."

Luke suddenly told them, "Vader's on that ship."

Leia looked at Luke from the corner of her eye, and she could see that he was sensing with the Force. She wondered why he would be able to sense Vader like that.

"Now don't get jittery, Luke. There are a lot of command ships. Keep your distance, though, Chewie, but don't look like you're trying to keep your distance."

Chewie bellowed at him in frustration.

"I don't know... Fly casual."

They were taking too long to answer them. Leia was starting to really worry. She grabbed Han's hand for reassurance, and he squeezed it warmly.

"Shuttle Tydirium, what is your cargo and destination?"

"Parts and technical crew for the forest moon." Han and Leia had practiced answers to every possible question they could ask him.

Luke looked puzzled. "I'm endangering the mission. I shouldn't have come."

"It's your imagination, kid. Come on, let's keep a little optimism here."

"Optimism?" Leia joked. "Who are you, and what have you done with Han?"

He straightened his collar. "I am a very optimistic person, thank you very much." Chewie and Leia looked at each other trying to stifle their laughter.

"They're not going for it, Chewie." They waited for a little while longer, resting above the moon's surface.

"Shuttle Tydirium, deactivation of the shield will commence immediately. Follow your present course." They all breathed out audibly. It had worked.

"Okay. I told you it was going to work. No problem."

They followed their course as instructed, and they docked the ship in a grassy, overgrown area.

The forest moon was actually very pretty. It was exceedingly green. Everything seemed alive and vibrant.

Everyone grabbed their gear and exited the ship. Leia grabbed Han's hand, and she pulled him back onto the ship for a moment.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I know," he smirked.

They kissed, and she told him, "I promise I will be careful. You should know it's not easy for me, but I am trying not to be the first to jump into a fight."

"I know you are." He kissed her again. "And I've got your back." She started to walk down the ramp, and he reached up and pinched her butt. She turned to give him a glare.

He raised his shoulders to feign innocence and said, "I told you I had your back!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Scouting the forest moon**

The group marched through the brush. It was hard to see through all of the trees and bushes, but they stayed vigilant.

They came to a clearing. Han motioned for them to stay low. Leia stayed close to him.

"I told you it was dangerous here!" Threepio complained.

Han, Leia, Luke, and Chewie went ahead to scout. There were a few stormtroopers– not many, but enough to be a problem.

"Should we try to go around?" Leia asked.

"It'll take time," Luke answered. They knew they needed to get the shield down quickly.

"This whole party will be for nothing if they see us," Han added.

"Chewie and I will take care of this," he whispered, pointing a finger. "You stay here." She knew he was still trying to protect her– no matter how much she told him not to treat her differently, he was still going to try to keep her from jumping into a fight.

"Quietly," Luke whispered back. "There might be more of them out there."

"Hey, it's me." Han smirked and crawled away. Leia and Luke chuckled at his cocky remark.

They watched Han sneak up on a stormtrooper, and as he was about to strike, he stepped on a very loud branch which snapped under his foot. The stormtrooper turned around and smacked him, knocking him to the ground.

"Go for help! Go!" The stormtrooper told another.

Luke and Leia jumped into action. "Great. Come on!" Luke told her.

Leia spotted some stormtroopers on speeders. "Over there! Two more of them!" She didn't wait and jumped on an empty speeder to race after them.

"I see them. Wait, Leia!" Luke jumped on her speeder as she was pulling away. He grabbed her by the middle, and they were off.

"Quick. Jam their comm. link! Center switch!" Luke yelled over the noisy engine as they raced past trees and rocks.

"Move closer!" He yelled. "Get alongside that one!"

She rammed into the stormtrooper's speeder to try to knock him off balance. He hit hers back, though, and she had trouble keeping it steady. Luke leapt onto the other speeder and knocked the guy off and into a tree.

They continued chasing down the other one.

Suddenly, there were two more on their tail. They fired a couple of shots, and Luke told her, "Keep on that one. I'll take these two!" He dropped back and shot one down.

Leia kept her eyes ahead at the stormtrooper she was supposed to get. She was determined. She ducked around some trees and tried to surprise him. He leveled with her, and he pulled out a small blaster. She managed to avoid a few shots, but he landed one on the engine of her speeder. She was thrust off as the machine shook, and she tucked and rolled onto a grassy patch. She hit the ground hard, but she watched as the stormtrooper sped right into a tree trunk.

Her last thought before she passed out was, _Han is going to kill me._


End file.
